


Billdip Oneshots

by Midnite521



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Dipper Pines, Alternate Universe - Gravity Falls, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines Fluff, BillDip, But not with Bill and Dipper I swear, Character Death, Domestic Violence, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, How Do I Tag, Human Bill Cipher, Human!Bill, Hurt/Comfort, I don't really do that sorry, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Injury, Insecure Dipper Pines, M/M, Magic, Major Character Injury, Most of them have a happy ending anyway, No Sex, No Smut, Protective!Bill, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Sad, Separation Anxiety, Spells & Enchantments, Temporary Character Death, These tags are out of order I'm sorry, This is all I can think of at the moment, Triangle Bill Cipher, Violence, Weirdness, mentions of depression, oneshots, what are tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2018-04-29 01:38:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 61,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5111603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnite521/pseuds/Midnite521
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sorry if they suck, I just write whatever comes to my mind</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Comatose

**Author's Note:**

> This oneshot took me a few days to write because I kept getting writer's block for certain parts. This is my first Billdip oneshot, so I hope you like it!

    “He’s  _where_?” I asked, surprised with slight anger in my tone.

 

    “Re _lax_  Bill, would you? I just told you where he was.” Said Ford. “No need to be aggressive with me.”

 

    I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out, willing myself to calm down. When I opened them, he seemed to be waiting for me to speak- arms crossed.

 

    “Look, I’m sorry alright?” I told him, trying to be sincere. “Could you just...tell me what happened to him?”

 

    “And why would a demon such as yourself, care about a 16 year old boy, when you’ve never done so before?”

 

    I gritted my teeth, not wanting to lash out any more than I already have. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I sighed.

 

    “I’ve been...keeping an eye on him, ever since he came to Gravity Falls, to make sure that he didn’t do something stupid and wind up hurting himself or someone else. I then began to grow interested in him and what he was up to. And in that time, I’ve found myself starting to care about him, surprising even myself when I did so.” I paused, and looked away. “I just...worry about him okay? Even this is new to me, and-” I stopped, looking back at him. “Frankly, I don’t care if you like me or not, I just…” I paused again. “I just want to know if he’s okay…” I finished, my voice quieting towards the end.

 

    He had a look of shock on his face, but also something else. It looked like...empathy?

 

    “I didn’t think…” He said, more to himself. He walked closer, making me tense up slightly.

 

    “I didn’t know you cared for him as much as you say you do. Tell you what,” He said, a small smile on his face. “If you really do care for him, I’ll take you to him.”

 

    “Could...you at least tell me what happened before you take me to see him?”

 

    He gave me a sad look. “Very well…” He said quietly. “You see, Dipper...was in an accident. And in that accident, he hit his head pretty hard...causing him to have fallen into a coma. There’s only a slim chance of him waking up any time soon.”

 

    Sadness washed over me, my shoulders slumping.

 

    “Oh…” I whispered, not wanting to talk anymore.

 

    He seemed to understand, and started leading me towards the Mystery Shack, where he would be found in his bed, unconscious.

 

    As soon as I was led to the front of the house, Dipper’s sister came outside, along with her uncle. As soon as she saw me walking up, teary eyed, she stormed up to me, making me instantly stop.

 

    “ What are  _you_ doing here?” She said angrily. “Because if you think, you’re going anywhere  _near_ my brother, I’m gonna-”

 

    “I’m not going to hurt him, or anyone, if that’s what you’re thinking.” I interrupted, trying to keep my calm. “I only want to see him.”

 

    “No.” She said lowly. I took in a breath, and sighed.

 

    “Is there a reason you don’t trust me?” I asked seethingly. “I’ve never had a reason to hurt your brother, so why would I have one now?”

 

    “You’re...a... _Demon_?” She stated, as if it was obvious. “You’re always full of tricks, you’re always trying to make deals with people and cause mischief, and you’re overall just really annoying. Need I say anything else?”

 

    I grit my teeth, letting out a frustrated growl under my breath.

 

    “Look kid, I-”

 

    “Stay away from him.” She said, glaring, her arms crossed.

 

    Ford finally stepped in. “Mabel, I’ve allowed Bill access to see Dipper. I can promise you that he will do nothing to hurt him. Now let him go.”

 

    She just huffed before moving and letting me inside. I made my way up the stairs, up to his room. It seemed only as if he were sleeping, and not in what seemed like an eternal slumber.

 

    I walked over to the edge of his bed to sit down. I let out a quiet sigh, wishing I was able to enter his mind and talk with him. I would need his permission.

 

    Couldn’t hurt to just talk to him...right? I hear when things like this happen, you can talk to the person and they can hear you. Here goes nothing…

 

    “Hey Pine Tree,” I started, smiling to myself slightly with the familiar nickname I’ve given him. “I don’t know if you can hear me or not, but if you can, I just want to say-”

 

    I cut myself off, thinking about what I wanted to say. I closed my eyes, letting out a breath.

 

    “Please be okay...and wake up soon…”

 

_~A Few Weeks Later~_

 

    I haven’t left the shack since I’ve arrived (let alone his room), and nobody seems to think twice about it. Not even Pine Tree’s sister, who comes in to sit with me in silence, looking at her brother sadly and silently wishing for him to wake up.

 

As she leaves, I sit in thought.

 

_I need to get to him somehow…_

 

_But only he can tell me to take control of his mind…_

 

I let out a huff of frustration, no longer wanting to wait.

 

I needed to do  _some_ thing, regardless of whether it would work or not. I stood up and looked at him.

 

“I’m sorry, kid.” I whispered before placing my hands on his forehead, closing my eyes in concentration.

 

Though it was difficult and took a lot more energy than normal, that didn’t stop me from making my way into his head. I opened my eyes, and looked around.

 

_Wow, it worked?_

 

Feeling elated for a few seconds, I shook my head and focused on the task at hand. Deciding to stay in my human form, I walked around and started the search.

 

After what seemed like hours of wandering, and looking through memories, I found what (or who), I was looking for. I opened a door, and sitting there in front of me, though not facing me, was Dipper. He seemed unaware that I was looking at him, and I took this chance. Smirking a little, I took a few steps forward, then stopped.

 

“How’s it hangin’ Pine Tree?” I asked in a slightly teasing tone. I heard a short gasp before he turned around, wide eyed.

 

“B...Bill?” He said in an unbelieving tone. “I-is it really you? Please tell me I’m not just imagining this, because if I am-”

 

I cut him off with a short laugh, smiling. “It’s really me, kid. You’re not imagining anything.”

 

“Wha….but  _how_? How are you doing this? Where are we? Why does it feel like I’ve been stuck here for who  _knows_  how long-” He said before cutting himself off and looking back at me. He walked closer, and surprised me by wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight, making me let out a small cry. I felt him smile against me before I hesitantly returned the embrace, feeling myself blush ever so slightly.

 

“Okay, no need to be clingy.” I said, gently pushing him away and acting like it was nothing.

 

“S-Sorry, sorry,” He stuttered happily. “So how are we getting out of here? Wait, why am I even here in the first place? And where is  _here_?”

 

“We’re inside your mind.” I stated as if it was obvious.

 

“In my  _mind_?” He said with shock. “Why am I...so that means I’m...sleeping?”

 

I looked away for a second before turning to answer him.

 

“Kinda sorta…”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean, Bill?” He asked, confusion now on his face. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out as I couldn’t get myself to tell him the truth. Reading my expression, he stood for a few seconds with a thoughtful look on his face, as if trying to piece it together.

 

“Bill…” He started nervously. “How long have I...been asleep?”

 

With a now forlorn look on my face, I answered.

 

“Dipper,” I started. Surprise was on his face as I used his real name. “You’ve been...in a coma for almost a month…”

 

“...What?” He whispered, looking down. “But...why? How?”

 

“Hey, look at me.” I said, tilting his head back up gently.

 

“I’ve been in a coma for almost a month?” He asked sadly. “But what about Mabel, or...or Grunkle Stan or Ford-”

 

“They’ve all been coming over to check on you as often as they could,” I told him reassuringly.

 

“What about you?” He asked suddenly.

 

“What about me?” I repeated, a little confused.

 

“Have you been checking in on me too? Or have you been too busy causing trouble somewhere?” He asked, a skeptical look on his face with his arms crossed.

 

“Hey, I thought you knew me better than that Pine Tree.” I said, smirking slightly. He just looked at me, eyebrow raised.

 

“I know you enough to know that you would be off making deals with someone somewhere or just being yourself in general.”

 

_Ouch, that kinda hurt..._

 

I let out a sigh. “You want the truth? I haven’t left the shack since Ford told me what happened to you. I’ve been sitting in this room all day, every day, hoping you would wake up again.”

 

A look of shock and surprise crossed him. “You...have?” He asked. “Then why didn’t you try to do this earlier?”

 

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t think it would work, since I would need your permission to enter into your mind in the first place. I didn’t think I’d be able to get in just by using my energy and focus, which was a lot by the way.”

 

He just looked at me and spoke softly. “Did you really stay at the shack in my room the whole time?”

 

I caught on his tone and smiled slightly. “Yeah, I did. Nothing was gonna make me leave you.”

 

He smiled back at me warmly, which made my face heat up again.

 

_Why does this keep happening?_

 

We stood for a few seconds more before I cleared my throat awkwardly.

 

“So, are you uh...ready to find a way out?” I asked. He nodded eagerly.

 

“Okay...Grab my hands.” I instructed.

 

He looked confused for a second. “Wait, why do I need to-”

 

“Do you want to get outta here or not?” I asked impatiently, cutting him off. He looked away real quick then back at me again.

 

“S-sorry.” He said, putting both of his hands in mine.

 

“Close your eyes and concentrate.”

 

“How do I do that?”

 

I sighed a little. “When you close your eyes, try and concentrate on the place you want to be, and I’ll try and take us there. It’ll probably only work if you help me.”

 

“Okay,” He said quietly, closing his eyes. I summoned my magic, focusing on Dipper’s room. It seemed to be working, but I needed more- it was blurry.

 

“Focus.” I commanded lightly. “I think we almost have it.”

 

I suddenly then felt a little more force, and was able to picture his room more clearly. Using the last of my energy, I transported us out of his mind, and (hopefully) into his room. I landed on the floor on my hands and knees, feeling exhausted from all the use of magic in one day.

 

I heard stirring, and looked up to see him starting to move around slightly before groaning. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking to adjust before looking towards me.

 

“Bill?” I heard him ask quietly. Forcing myself to at least stand, I looked to him. “Are you okay?”

 

I chuckled. “You just woke up from an almost month long coma, and you’re asking if  _I’m_ okay?” I said, making him frown a little.

 

“Yes I’m asking. I’m asking because when I looked at you, you were on the floor. Plus, you look tired. So...are you?”

 

I let out a small breath of air and smiled. “Don’t worry about me Pine Tree, alright? I’m fine.”

 

“Well so am I.” He said before standing up.

 

“Woah, you really shouldn’t be standing up just yet-”

 

“Relax, I feel fine.” He said with a slight chuckle. Though he seemed a little wobbly at first, he eventually was able to stand normally without needing to hold onto anything. He gave a small smile before hugging me again, this time not as tightly.

 

“Thank you, Bill.” I heard him say as he basically clung to me. “You didn’t have to help me...but you did.”

He pulled away, looking up at me with a smile. “You used up your energy to save me.”

 

I looked away. “It’s not a big deal, really…”

 

“Not a big deal?” He asked incredulously. “If you didn’t do what you did, I’d still be in that coma, not knowing where I was or what to do. It’s a heck of a big deal if you ask me.”

 

He took a step closer, which made me look at him.

 

“I really appreciate it. You have no idea…”

 

My face seemed to heat up again. He looked at me weirdly before smirking slightly. He took one step closer, me being about a head taller than him.

 

“Are you...blushing?” He asked teasingly. I scoffed.

 

“Pfft, what  _me_? Why would I do  _that_? I’m a demon.”

 

He looked at me knowingly. “Are you saying you don’t feel nervous around me? At all? No feelings of any kind?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re getting at.” I stated somewhat quickly, crossing my arms.

 

“You like me...don’t you?” He asked matter-of-factly.

 

“If I didn’t like you would I have helped you? I wouldn’t have stayed here.”

 

“You know that’s not what I meant.” He said somewhat seriously. “Bill…” He said, leaning closer. “Tell the truth.”

 

Just looking at the expression on his face was enough to make me crack.

 

_I feel like what other humans would call ‘butterflies’ in my stomach_

 

“Dipper…”

 

He stared at me, probably waiting for an answer that he already most likely knew. I rolled my eyes, inwardly groaning.

 

“Fine, I like you okay? You happy?” I spit out nervously, watching his expression. He went from frowning to a small smile.

 

“I will be if you can prove it.”

 

“W-what?” I stuttered, shocked.

 

“Prove it- that you like me, I mean.”

 

I swallowed nervously. “I...I really don’t think it would be a good…” I said, words dying in my throat as he came within inches in front of my face. You’d have to be blind not to see the very distinct blush that covered my entire face, Dipper’s also slightly the same.

 

“I don’t care if you’re a demon or not. Prove it, right here, right now. Kiss me.”

 

I thought about all the reasons as to why doing this wouldn’t be good for either of us, the rest of his family being the main one. They would probably hate the idea of Dipper liking a demon instead of a normal person. A low growl crawled up my throat as I answered.

 

“Fuck it.” I said before I pulled his face to mine in a rough kiss, making him gasp in surprise before wrapping his arms around my neck for support, letting slip a quiet moan.

 

It must have lasted a good 1 or 2 minutes before he pulled away to breath, face flushed and in a daze. I put my forehead against his before pulling him in somewhat of an embrace.

 

“That proof enough?” I asked, smirking.

 

“I...I um, I…” He stuttered. “That...was…”

 

“Amazing?” I finished for him.

 

“How are you such a good kisser? Have you ever kissed anyone before?”

 

I shrugged for the first question before answering for the second. “This is my first time actually. And me being good at it? That I’m not sure of either, I just am I guess.”

 

I smirked again. “Why? Want me to do it again?” I asked, making his face seem more flushed.

 

“I don’t know...do I want you to?” He asked with a smile.

 

I chuckled, wanting to already kiss him again, but was interrupted by the door opening and a loud gasp.

 

“ _Dipper_?” Mabel said, eyes wide in shock. “What are you  _doing_? Were you….were you two-”

 

“N-no!” Dipper said quickly, blush still evident. She crossed her arms, seemingly disbelieving of his words.

 

“You’re hugging him.” She stated plainly. He backed away quickly, brushing himself off.

 

“N-no, we were just-”

 

“I helped him wake up from his coma.” I said with a sly grin. She looked at me, then pointed from her eyes to me.

 

“I’m watching you,” She said warily. “Don’t even  _think_  about doing anything when I leave to tell everyone you’re okay, got it?”

 

“Sure thing, Shooting Star.” I answered with a small smirk, crossing my arms. She pointed again from her eyes to me a couple times with a stern look before backing out of the door and out of the room.

 

“Well that was fun,” I said cheerfully.

 

“You’re not funny.” He mumbled sheepishly. I rolled my eyes and laughed before pulling him into a hug.

 

“Relax, it’s not like she’ll tell someone.”

“...-”

 

“I read her mind before she left.” I answered before he could speak.

 

“Right...of course you did.”

 

“I can read yours too.” I said with a sly smile. His eyes widened a little before turning into a glare.

 

“Bill, you’re reading my mind right now?! Can you  _not_?” He exclaimed.

 

I chuckled. “It’s not like I can help it, being a magical demon and all.” I then smirked knowingly. “You want to kiss me again.”

 

A blush spread across his face. “Do not.”

 

I floated over to him, getting within a couple inches of his face. “You sure about that, Pine Tree?” I purred. He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“I-I’m pretty sure.” He stuttered. “I should probably go downstairs to let everyone else know I’m okay,”

 

“I’m sure your sister has that handled.” I said with a smile.

 

“Bill seriously, I-” He said before I interrupted by pressing my lips to his in a soft kiss, shutting him up instantly. I held his face, a small smile on my lips as I watched his eyes open slowly, his face burning by now. I backed away slightly, and laughed as he looked away.

 

He rolled his eyes. “Okay fine, so you might’ve read my mind a little.”

 

“Come on, you know you love me.” I said sweetly. He just smiled shyly.

  
Who knew him being in a coma would lead to a whole new relationship?


	2. Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically just what the title says- Dipper has a sick day and needs to stay in bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shitty ending- I couldn't think of anything else to write afterwards. Thankfully this one didn't take me as long as the last one. Hope you enjoy!

“We’ll be back in a few hours, Dipper!” I heard my sister Mabel call out. “I hope you feel better!”

Probably guessing I heard her, she, Candy, and Grenda were out the door.

I smiled to myself as I laid in bed. At least now it’ll be quiet enough to get some rest. It sucks being sick, but I’ll at least have time to myself.

I heard footsteps and looked towards the door to see Grunkle Stan peeking in through the door. He waved half heartedly as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

“Hey kiddo,” He greeted with a small smile. “Feelin’ any better yet?”

I shook my head and put a thumbs down, since talking would hurt my sore throat.

“Still hurts too much to talk, eh?” He asked. I nodded. He looked at me sympathetically.

“Sorry to hear that...wish I had something here for ya to take, but I don’t at the moment.”

I smiled slightly, hopefully letting him know that it was okay. He seemed to understand.

“Okay, now I to run out and do a few errands. Think you’ll be okay by yourself?”

I gave him an unamused look, to which he chuckled at.

“I know, I know. You’re old enough to take care of yourself, but I was only asking seeing as how you’re feeling the way you are…”

I waved my hands, motioning for him to stop. I gave a thumbs up and a small smile indicating that I’d be fine.

“Well, okay...hope you feel better, kid. I’ll be back in a little while.”

I nodded, watching as he closed the door on his way out.

_All by myself…_

I sighed softly in relief, enjoying the feeling of relaxation (which I don’t get often what with Mabel and her friends always coming over, and Grunkle Stan yelling at the TV every once in a while).

I closed my eyes, intent on trying to get some sleep for once. It seemed like only a few minutes before I heard a noise. Shaking it off as something unimportant, I tried dozing off again.

A minute or so later, it felt as if someone were watching me. I tensed slightly, mentally groaning. I opened my eyes slowly, and looked to see none other than the dream demon himself, except in his human form. I jumped, and a surprised yell came out. I then held my throat, it hurting now more than ever. He let out a laugh.

“Woah Pinetree, what’s got you so jumpy? It’s just me.” He said with a grin. I just glared, still holding my throat, rubbing it a little. He looked at me curiously.

“What’s wrong with you?” He asked. I rolled my eyes a little. An idea popped into my head as I thought of a way to answer him.

_‘I’m sick’_ I thought, hoping he got it.

“Sick?” He asked. I nodded. “Why can’t you just tell me yourself instead of thinking it?”

I let out a quiet but frustrated sigh. ‘ _My throat hurts too much to talk. You scaring me like that and making me yell didn’t help either._ ’

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re so jumpy.”

I growled mentally, which he must have gotten because he laughed again.

‘ _Why are you here?_ ’ I asked (thought) tiredly.

“Just thought I’d check in and see what my favorite person’s been up to.” He said with a smile.

‘ _I’m not yours_ ,’ I told him, annoyed. ‘ _And I haven’t been up to anything, as you can tell. I’ve been in bed for a few days, bored out of my mind_.’

“Oh contraire, my little Pinetree,” He said with a smirk. “I do believe you are mine, whether you like it or not. And as for you being bored- I can help!” He said with excitement. “I myself have also been bored, which is the reason I came here in the first place.”

‘ _Sorry to disappoint, but there’s not much I can do with me being sick and all. So it looks like you can leave now since you won’t find anything exciting here._ ’ I thought rather quickly.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” He said while shaking his head, a smile on his face. “Sounds like somebody doesn’t want me here.”

‘ _What was your first clue?_ ’ I thought sarcastically.

“I’m sure we could think of something!” He said, brushing off my answer.

‘ _Can I just go back to sleep please?_ ’ I tried.

“Where’s the fun in that?” He asked somewhat teasingly.

‘ _If it means I don’t have to deal with you right now, then it’s fun for me._ ’ I thought, smirking weakly.

“Well sorry to tell you this, but I’m not going anywhere.” He said, crossing his arms, a mischievous grin on his face. “It’s not like you can get me to leave in your condition.”

I glared, and spoke without thinking.

“Wanna bet?” I dared, my voice quiet and hoarse. I then wrapped my hand around my throat again, closing my eyes in pain as it seemed to burn at the attempt of speaking.

‘ _Ow…_ ’

He let out an amused laugh. “Okay. Think you can get me to leave? Go ahead, try to do something.”

Now feeling extremely annoyed, I got up out of bed and stood, looking up at him.

“Hey, look! I got you out of bed.” He said happily. I reached forward to grab him, but he disappeared before I could, making me fall to the ground with a ‘thud’. He then showed up again on the other side of the room. I stood up steadily, and turned to him with a scowl.

“That was a good attempt, but you need to try harder than that if you want me to leave.” He said with a knowing smile.

I let out a huff of air, and walked towards him.

‘ _I. said._ leave.’ I thought angrily. He chuckled.

“I’m only leaving if you can get me to, kid. Telling me to leave directly won’t make me leave, just so you know.”

I tried grabbing for him again, but he disappeared again before I could. I stumbled, catching myself before looking around the room to find him sitting by the window, humming contentedly before turning to look at me.

“Trying to grab ahold of me won’t work either, as you can see.” He said with a smirk. “Didn’t you learn that the first time?”

‘ _Please leave?_ ’ I asked hopefully. He shook his head.

“Nah, I’m good.” He answered, getting up from the window sill and stood facing me.

I sighed, shoulders slumping defeatedly. “Fine.” I whispered. ‘ _You can stay I guess…_ ’

He grinned triumphantly. “Great! I figured you would need the company.”

I rolled my eyes, trudging over to my bed, sitting on it. He walked over to me and sat on the edge of my bed. “Look,” He started. “What if I told you I could help you?”

‘ _I’m not making a deal with you._ ’ I thought strictly.

“But what if I could help you feel better?”

‘ _...How?_ ’ I asked cautiously. He smiled, holding up a hand, showing glowing blue fingertips. I looked at him, confused.

‘ _Magic?_ ’ I asked. ‘ _How would that make me feel better again?’_

He rolled his eyes. “I could heal you.”

Feeling more confused, I spoke.

‘ _But I’m not hurt._ ’

“Well, your throat hurts doesn’t it? I don’t just fix injuries, y’know.”

‘ _Why should I trust you?_ ’ I asked. He sighed.

“Do you really think I would try and do something to hurt you, Dipper? I’m trying to be nice here.”

My eyes widened slightly. “Y-you just said my name…” I whispered hoarsely.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m not trying to make a deal with you. I’m just trying to help, so long as you let me.”

I sat there in thought. Bill...wanting to help? Never thought I’d hear that. I looked at him warily, coming to a conclusion.

‘ _Okay...I guess I could trust you…_ ’

He smiled genuinely. “Okay. Just stay still and let me work my magic, so to say.”

I nodded vaguely as I sat still, still looking at him. He placed his fingers on my neck, once again glowing a bright blue.

I felt my face grow slightly warm as I looked at him.

Maybe he isn’t so bad after all…

Wait, am I...blushing? Why am I blushing? Do I have a fever too?

I felt a tingling sensation where he placed his fingers before he stopped.

“You should be okay now. Can you try and talk for me?” He asked.

“Okay.” I said, voice sounding perfectly normal. I gasped quietly. “I can talk again!” I said with a smile on my face. “How did you do that?”

He just shrugged. “It’s not that hard, really.”

“Well, um...thanks...Bill.” I said quietly, feeling my face grow warmer as I looked down to try and hide it. “For helping me.”

“Well, would you look at that? The infamous Dipper Pines thanking his arch enemy.” He said, amused. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

I looked back up at him with a small smile. “No really Bill, I appreciate it.”

He gave me a slightly confused look. “It’s...not that big a deal, really...I just made you healthy again.”

“Did you still want to do something fun?” I asked with a grin. His slightly confused expression slowly turned to a small smirk.

“Oh, _now_ you want to do something with me. What happened to hating me and wanting me to leave?”

I looked away, blush now more evident on my face.

“I never said I hated you.” I told him. “Sure, you can be _extremely_ annoying at times, but that doesn’t mean I hate you for it.”

“Oh, so...you like me then?” He asked teasingly. “An evil, insane, dream demon who does nothing but cause trouble for people?”

“You’re not _always_ bad.” I said quietly. “If you were, you wouldn’t have helped me.”

“That’s because you’re my favorite person, like I said earlier.” He said with a sly smile. “I don’t help just anyone. You’re special, Pinetree.”

_So are you…_   I wanted to say, but didn’t.

 **  
**Is it bad that I just might have a tiny little crush on a demon? Probably, but I don’t really care.


	3. Handcuffs & Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Mabel happens to find a set of magical handcuffs?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the ending sucks but whatever. Hope it's okay!

“Bill!” I exclaimed frustratedly. “What do you mean you can’t get them off?”

He rolled his eyes. “It means exactly what I just said.”

“Can’t you use some sort of, I don’t know, spell or, magic or something?”

“If I could, don’t you think I would’ve done it already?” He asked sarcastically.

You see, my sister Mabel thought it would be funny to secretly handcuff me and Bill together using magical handcuffs she found somewhere. When I asked her about unlocking it, she gave me a sheepish look and said she didn’t know where the keys were, and made up an excuse to quickly run off and leave us cuffed together when she seen the look on my face. Since then, I’ve been asking Bill to try and unlock it without any luck.

“You’re the most powerful and magical demon in the universe and you can’t unlock a simple set of handcuffs?” I asked, annoyed.

“Okay first of all, no need for the attitude.” He started with a slight glare. “Second, if they were a  _normal_ pair, I  _would_ have gotten out of them by now, but these are enchanted, so I can’t just unlock them.”

I sighed, annoyed with the fact that my sister somehow managed to find these and think it to be funny to cuff me and  _Bill_ together of all people.

I tried tugging at it again, but to no avail as it just left somewhat of an imprint on my wrist from pulling so much. I let out a frustrated noise as I flopped down on the couch.

“Am I that bad?”

“Yes.” I answered, not looking at him. “You are. I can’t believe she would think this is funny. This is the worst thing that has happened to me so far this summer.”

“ _This_ is the worst thing? Really?” He asked sarcastically. “Nevermind the fact that you’ve dealt with how many creatures and monsters before this. Yeah,  _this_ is the worst thing to happen to you.”

“Shut up...just shut up Bill, alright?” I responded tiredly.

“Are you going to make me?” He taunted. “Besides, I’m not the one complaining here.” He said with a bitter-like tone.

I turned towards him with a glare. “I’m complaining because the key to these cuffs are missing and we’re most likely going to be stuck together like this for a while.”

“Well complaining about it isn’t going to find them, is it?” He asked. I didn’t answer and averted my gaze.

“That’s what I thought.” He muttered.

We sat in silence for what seemed like hours, but was only minutes. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

_Would now be a good time to tell him?_

_Dipper no...It’s not like he would understand or feel the same way…_

_But I don’t want to keep sitting in silence..._

I gathered whatever courage I could find to say what I was about to say after mentally fighting with myself. I gulped nervously.

“...Bill?” I said quietly.

“I thought you told me not to talk to you.” He said distantly, not looking at me. “Specifically by telling me to shut up.”

I sighed a little. “Look, I’m...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

He scoffed. “Sure sounded like you did. You made it pretty clear that you hated me Dipper.”

“What made you think that?” I asked.

“Oh, ‘this is the worst thing to happen to me this summer’ pretty much showed it.” He said in what sounded like dejection.

“Bill, could you please look at me?” I pleaded.

Silence.

“Bill…”

…….

I huffed, slightly annoyed. Deciding to try something else, I yanked my cuffed hand towards myself, making him grunt in response.

Nothing.

Once more, I yanked my arm towards myself, this time with more force. He then let out a surprised noise before finally looking towards me with a scowl.

“What?” He asked, raising his voice a little. “What do you want?”

_Now or never Dipper_

I mumbled it at first, the nervousness setting in.

“What?” He asked again. “Could you speak at a normal volume so I can hear you?”

“I think I like you.” I said a little louder, blushing slightly. “Y’know...as more than a friend…”

No response, except for his eyes widening in surprise.

“Come again?” He asked.

“Please don’t make me say it again,” I said, blush deepening as I looked down sheepishly.

He then laughed. “Y-you like me?  _Me?_ A demon?”

I didn’t answer, afraid to look up.

“Hey, look at me kid.” He said, gently cupping my face in his hand, making me look at him. He smirked slightly. “Are you sure having a crush on me, of all people, is a good idea?”

“Never said it was,” I mumbled. “It’s not like I can help who I like and don’t like, okay? It just...happened.”

He chuckled. “I’m a demon with the potential of destroying the world. What could you possibly like about me that’s good?”

“Well...you…” I said, trying to think of exactly  _why_ I had fallen for him.

“I’m supposed to be your arch enemy, and instead you want me to be your boyfriend?” He asked teasingly. I bit my lip, my face heating up again.

“Maybe…” I whispered. A small smile appeared on his face before it turned into a sly grin.

“Want to test it and see?” He asked quietly. My eyes widened a little.

“W-what?” I stuttered.

“Well, you see Pinetree,” He purred. “I think I just might have a thing for you, too…”

I laughed nervously. “A-are you sure about that?” I asked. “But why would  _you_ like  _me_?”

“There’s a lot to like about you…and you’re smarter than most people your age. I like that.”

“I’m not…” I said before drifting off as he was now only about an inch or so away from my face. My heart pounded furiously, and my stomach seemed to be doing flips.

“Just shut up,” He breathed as he pressed his lips to mine.

Forget flips, my stomach was doing somersaults by now.

He pulled away slightly, a smirk on his face again. “So...do you think you like me?”

“I still don’t know if I do or not…” I said breathlessly, already missing the feeling. He laughed quietly.

“Oh you don’t, do you?” He said softly. He moved slowly, brushing his lips against mine in a teasing manner. “Want me to do it again?”

I nodded slightly before he kissed me again, adding a little more pressure. This one seemed to carry on longer than the last, and lingered for a few seconds.

“How about now?” He murmured. I smiled.

“Yep...I definitely like you.”

“Good,” He said with a grin. “‘Cause I definitely like you too, Pinetree.”

I then heard footsteps and looked to see Mabel return with an excited look on her face.

“I found the keys!”

Looks like being handcuffed to an all powerful dream demon wasn’t so bad as I thought.

It seems like Mabel knew that too, as she walked over to unlock them, she smiled and winked as if she knew exactly what happened.  


	4. Lost & Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the ending sucks (again), I got writer's block towards that part and didn't know what else to write xD Hope it's still good though!

_Danger is near…_

__

_Someone is in trouble…_

I gasped, realizing I could only sense when a certain someone is hurt. I transported myself to the Mystery Shack, though I knew the chances of him being there were slim to none anyways.

I found myself speed walking through the main door, and a few heads turned towards me. Specifically, Stan, Ford, and Mabel.

“Where is he?” I asked frantically. They all seemed to be confused on who I was talking about at first. Then Mabel seemed to catch on.

“ _Oh_ , you’re talking about Dipper right?”

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. “Who _else_ would I be talking about?”

“Hey, no need for sarcasm,” Mabel said, shaking her finger at me. “If you’re wondering where Dipper’s at, he went in the woods a little while ago.”

_Oh no…_

“Why do you look so scared?” Ford asked. “Is everything okay, Bill?”

I shook my head quickly. “I need to go.”

I started running into the woods, feeling too panicked to teleport myself.

_Where are you?_

__

_Please be okay…_

As I got further in, the more afraid I felt when I didn’t find him.

“Dipper!” I yelled out while still running, looking side to side as well as in front of me so I didn’t trip over anything. “Dipper, where are you?”

I decided to slow down to a speed walk once again, listening intently to everything around me. I tried to focus on his mind, hoping it would at least give me a hint of where he was, but it seemed to be blocked.

“ _Shit_.” I cursed frustratedly, pulling at my hair slightly.

Still hearing nothing out of the ordinary, I decided to try and call out again.

“Dipper!”

…..

“ _Dipper_!”

…..

“Please...give me a sign, kid…” I said more to myself, voice cracking as my worry grew the longer I went without getting some kind of response.

~

~

~

The longer I walked, the more hopeless I felt as I heard nothing. I sighed, deciding to try and call out once more.

“Dipper!”

“Over here,” I heard someone call out weakly. I ran over to where I heard the voice, and relief flooded through me as I found who I was looking for. Though it was short lived as I got a good look at him.

“Bill?” He mumbled. “Wh...what are you...doing here…”

My eyes scanned him over as I found all sorts of cuts, scrapes and bruises. I kneeled down beside him.

“What _happened_ to you?” I asked, concern in my voice.

“What...do you mean,” He mumbled. “I’m...fine…”

He tried sitting up, then groaned in pain before laying back down. I laughed under my breath.

“If you’re fine, then what are you doing on the ground?” I asked softly. “You look _and_ sound like you’re in pain, kid.”

“I’m...not…” He said quietly, his voice close to a whisper.

“Dip-”

“I said...I’m fine.” He muttered stubbornly.

“No, you’re not fine.” I said sternly. “Now can you tell me what happened?”

“ _Nothing_ happened...okay?” He said, gritting his teeth and shutting his eyes.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Look, if you don’t want to tell me, I could easily just read your mind.”

“Go...ahead then.”

Glaring slightly at his stubbornness, I answered my gently pressing my fingers against the side of his face (seeing as how he was laying on his side). I closed my eyes in concentration, I focused on healing him instead.

“Bill...what are you-”

“Be quiet.” I demanded lightly. He seemed to scoff at my request, but said nothing.

My eyes then opened as they glowed a bright blue along with my fingers. I watched as most of the cuts and bruises seemed to fade away. When I thought he seemed better, I lifted my hands up and put them at my sides, smiling slightly.

“Feel any better?”

He opened his eyes, then slowly started to sit up. He looked at me with confusion.

“H-how did you-”

I interrupted with a chuckle. “You seem to forget that I’m a magical being with all sorts of powers that you can’t even begin to fathom, Pinetree.”

He blushed slightly as he looked away from me. “...Right.”

I raised an eyebrow as he looked away. “Is there... something else wrong?” I asked curiously, which made him look back at me.

“W-what do you mean?” He asked with a nervous chuckle. “There’s nothing else that’s wrong with me.”

“Okay…” I said skeptically, crossing my arms. “If there’s nothing else wrong, then can you tell me why you came out here in the first place? And why you were injured?”

“I’ll tell you _after_ you tell me how you knew I was out here, let alone knowing I was hurt.”

“Fine,” I muttered. “I knew there was something wrong because...I can...sense it.”

“Sense it?” He asked, looking more confused. “Well if you can sense it, how did you know in particular that _I_ was the one that was in trouble?”

“I knew it was you because....” I said, drifting off. I sighed.

“Bill?” He questioned.

I bit my lip, my face heating up a little as I averted my gaze. “I knew it was you in particular because I care about you, Dipper. A lot more than I ever have with anybody else.”

“Wait, you... _care_? About _me_?” He said in a shocked tone, making me look back at him. “Since when does Bill Cipher care about anybody but himself?” He asked with a smirk. “And when do you ever call me by my actual name?”

I glared. “Can you just tell me what happened to you?”

He laughed. “I’m sorry...I’m still processing the fact that you actually care about me.”

I growled lowly, making him cease to just giggling.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. “I’ll tell you.”

~

~

~

“I just got attacked out of nowhere, though I don’t know by who or what. It was a while before I heard you calling out for me.”

I grit my teeth, making fists as I felt anger flow through me like fire. If I find out who did this…

“Bill? Are you okay?” I heard him say with concern. “Look, I can see that you’re upset-”

“Upset doesn’t even be _gin_ to describe how I’m feeling.” I scowled.

“But you don’t know who or what attacked me. And, look-” He said, stepping towards me, gesturing to himself. “I’m okay now. Because of you.”

He took another step towards me, making me jump a little in surprise. “So please don’t worry about it...okay? Please?” He pleaded gently. I sighed again, willing myself to calm down.

“Sorry.” I mumbled. A small smile appeared on his face.

“You’d be able to teleport both of us back to the Mystery Shack right?”

“I, ah...s-should be able to.” I stuttered, mentally slapping myself for doing so. He laughed quietly before grabbing one of my hands to hold onto.

He looked at me, a blush creeping up on his face, as well as mine. “Let’s go then...I don’t really want to walk back anyways.”

“Hah...right.” I answered nervously.

_How is a mortal making me feel like this?_

__

_This shouldn’t be able to happen…_

I shook my head slightly, getting rid of those thoughts so I could concentrate on getting us back. Within a few seconds, we appeared in front of the Shack.

“Well...thanks for...for helping me.” Dipper said softly. I nodded, unable to speak. Then as I realized that his hand was still in mine, I let go and closed my eyes as my face warmed up again.

“Well, I’ll um...see ya later kid-” I started to say before I gasped lightly, feeling a pair of arms wrap around me. He looked up at me with a grin.

“Leaving already?” He asked.

I licked my lips nervously out of habit. “I really should…”

“Please stay? At least for a little while?” He begged, eyes twinkling brightly. I let out a breath, chuckling.

“You sure your family won’t care?”

He smiled. “Positive.” He said before grabbing my hand again and pulling me inside. The three that were here earlier looked towards the door as Dipper pulled me in with him.

“Bill’s going to stay over for a little while if it’s okay.” He said to Stan, who just shrugged.

“Fine by me. As long as he doesn’t cause trouble.”

Dipper just smiled as he took me up to his room, closing the door. I walked over by his bed and looked out the window.

“I had no idea that you cared for me...why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He asked quietly. I then heard footsteps, and I turned around to see him looking at me. Being almost 17, he wasn’t that much shorter than me, maybe only by a few inches.

“Would it really matter if I did?” I asked, arms crossed.

“Well _duh_ ,” He said with a grin. “Of course it would’ve mattered! If you’d have told me sooner, then I could have told you that I-” He cut himself off my covering his mouth with his hand, blushing again

I looked at him inquisitively. “That you what?”

“That...I...I care about you too, Bill.” He said quickly. My eyes widened slightly.

“W….what?” I whispered.

“I care about you too. It doesn’t matter to me that you’re an all powerful dream demon, I know that you have feelings just like everyone else- even if you don’t show it most of the time,” He added with a small smirk.

“Demons aren’t supposed to have feelings, especially for humans.” I stated matter-of-factly.

“Who tell you that?” He asked.

I stared, confused. “No one, but-”

“Then why can’t you have feelings? I don’t see how it’s wrong.”

“Dipper-”

“You’re your own person...you should be allowed to care for others.”

I couldn’t think of anything to say. He moved closer, pink tinting his face.

“Can….I try something?” He asked.

“Like...what, exactly?”

“This,” He whispered, grabbing my shirt and pulling me closer before pressing his lips to mine in a soft kiss. I inwardly gasped as I found myself closing my eyes.

_I’m being kissed by a human…_

__

_And I...like it…_

I found myself holding him tightly, therefore deepening the kiss and surprising him a little.

After pulling away reluctantly, he rested his forehead against mine, panting slightly, face flushed. He looked at me expectantly.

“I don’t think I want to leave.” I finally said. He chuckled.

“Well that’s good.”

I smiled slightly. “And I...actually enjoyed that.” I told him, hugging him to me tightly.

“I’m glad...because so did I.” He said with a grin.

~

  
Who knew telling someone you cared about them would lead to them being your boyfriend?


	5. Bad Luck Turned Good

“Whatcha looking at Dip Dop?” Mabel asked curiously, looking over my shoulder as I looked through one of the journals. I yelped in surprise and shrugged my shoulder to get her away, and turned to look at her, closing the journal.

 

“Mabel, what are you doing?” I asked, exasperated. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

 

“I’m booooored~” She whined. “I wanted to see what you were up to and found that you’re reading that boring old journal again.” She said, crossing her arms, looking unamused.

 

“Well this ‘boring old journal’ is pretty important. It’s not just some book, it has almost everything that has to do with the mysteries of this town in it. I was just rereading some of the pages to see if-” I said before it was snatched away from my hands. There I looked to see that Mabel had a grin on her face, and the journal above her head.

 

“If you want it back you gotta catch me first!” She exclaimed, giggling before running out of our room and down the stairs.

 

“Mabel!” I yelled, starting to run after her. “Give it back!”

 

I ran into the living room, and turned last second to see her climbing the ladder to the roof. I groaned slightly in frustration before following. I started to climb the ladder when I heard something.

 

“Hey, what’s this spell do?” She asked rather loudly. I gasped before climbing faster.

 

“Mabel no! Don’t read it!” I exclaimed. “Whatever it says, don’t read it!”

 

“Too late!~” She said in sing-song. She then started to read it out loud:

 

_‘O caelum et terram et spiritus saluto damnum iniuria inquirat... ’_

 

My eyes widened, realizing instantly what spell she was reciting.

 

“Oh no...nonononono…” I said with fear. “Mabel stop! Don’t read it!” I pleaded, but no response.

 

_‘Hostis incumbat cadas et in omnis conatus facit!’_

 

Just as I reached the roof, a weird feeling coursed through my entire body and into my mind, making me gasp in shock.

 

“Mabel...do you realize what you’ve just  _done_ to me?!” I yelled angrily, making her flinch. “Did you not even read over that page to see what it was?”

 

She shook her head. “No, um...should I have?”

 

I glared. “The spell you just said was a  _bad luck_ spell...and it was directed towards  _me_.” I said with a scowl.

 

She smiled sheepishly and laughed nervously. “Don’t...suppose you would know how to...fix it...would you?”

 

“I didn’t see anything in the journal about how to fix it, Mabel.” I answered, sighing. “Unless…”

 

She looked at me, confused. “Unless what?”

 

I smiled as I thought of a possible solution to my problem. “I’ve got to go.” I said quickly, grabbing the journal.

 

Time to summon a certain dream demon.

 

I raced towards the ladder, forgetting about the spell for a second as I seemingly tripped over nothing, and fell to the floor before I could grab the ladder.

 

“Oww,” I cried out weakly. I turned to see Mabel looking at me from the roof.

 

“Ohmigosh Dipper, are you okay?” She called out worriedly. I chuckled breathily before slowly giving a thumbs up.

 

“Yeah...I’m...I’m okay.” I assured her, standing up slowly with the journal in hand. She climbed down and stood beside me.

 

“I’m...sure it was just a...coincidence that you fell.”

 

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah okay, a coincidence that I tripped over nothing and fell as  _soon_ as you were done reciting an ancient spell.” I said with sarcasm.

 

“Well...you  _can_ be pretty clumsy sometimes.” She said with a chuckle.

 

I crossed my arms. “Mabel, this is serious. I need to find a way to fix this.”

 

“Well, it can wait until tomorrow right? It’s getting pretty late anyway.”

 

“No.” I said sternly. “I need to do this now or it might never go away, and I’ll be stuck with bad luck for the rest of my life.”

 

I shivered as I thought of that possibility, fear in mind. I then crossed my arms. “And besides, 3 in the afternoon isn’t late.”

 

“Fine, I’ll just stay in the living room while you go up to our room to say some other spell that’ll probably bring Bill here.” She said with slight annoyance, walking over and sitting on the couch and turning on the TV.

 

My eyes widened slightly. “Wait, how did you know what I was-”

 

“Pfft, come on Dipper, as if I wouldn’t know why you would summon him.”

 

I stared, confused. “Could you explain it to me? Because I’m not getting it.”

 

She let out an over exaggerated sigh as she looked over at me.

 

“You want to summon him because you have a crush on him.”

 

“W-what?” I stuttered, blushing. “No I don’t. Why would I have a crush on  _him_? And besides, I like girls remember?”

 

“If you don’t then why are you blushing?” She asked with a smirk. “And having a crush on him wouldn’t make you gay if you still liked girls like you say, it would make you bisexual.”

 

_But...I couldn’t be…_

 

_Could I?_

 

“I know my own brother, trust me.” She said with a smile. “Besides, I think it’s cute that you like him! You two would make a good couple.”

 

“Mabel!” I exclaimed with embarrassment, my face growing hotter. “Can we not talk about this please?”

 

“You got it!” She said, winking. “Not talking about it- check.”

 

I sighed in relief as I hurriedly made my way up the stairs, tripping over my feet a few times, making it take longer to reach to top and into my room. I fell to the floor with a huff, exasperated from the longer-than-usual trek up the stairs. I stood up slowly, walking to the middle of the room, sitting on my knees and opening the journal to the correct page. I took a deep breath, getting ready.

 

Deciding that I wouldn’t need the candles, I started reciting.

 

“ _Triangulum, entangulum. Meteforis dominus ventium. Meteforis venetisarium!_ ”

 

I stood up, and gasped as I turned towards the mirror to see my eyes glowing blue. I shut them tightly, getting a sudden headache, making me pull at my hair slightly. I fell to my knees, groaning almost inaudibly at the pain.

 

 _‘I shouldn’t be feeling pain when I summon him…’_ I thought to myself. ‘ _Ugh...maybe it’s the bad luck spell…’_

 

I looked up blearily to see blue flames before he appeared. He floated to the ground and stood, looking at me with a weird expression on his face.

 

“What’s going on, Pine Tree? And why do you look like you’re hurt?”

 

I grit my teeth, standing up steadily before almost stumbling into him, making him back away.

 

“Woah, careful there kid.”

 

“Sorry,” I mumbled. Pain now subsiding, dizziness took its place. I blinked to try and make it go away, which didn’t help whatsoever.

 

“Seriously, are you okay?” He asked, sounding a little concerned, contrary to his normally playful tone. “What happened?”

 

“Mabel...she...she got ahold of the journal a...and cast a spell with it…” I answered wearily.

 

“What spell, exactly?” He asked, grabbing my arm lightly and walking me over to my bed, sitting on the edge of it.

 

Feeling suddenly exhausted, I tried to answer the best I could. “B...bad...luck...spell…”

 

He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Are you kidding me? Why in the  _hell_  would she do that? Especially to you?”

 

I shrugged my shoulders lazily. “She...didn’t know...wh-what the spell...did, she just…” I said, trailing off, my head now leaning on his shoulder, with me feeling too tired to care.

 

He didn’t push me away, to my surprise, he seemed to not mind. “She just found a random spell and wanted to find out what it did without reading about it first?” He said, seeming to finish my sentence.

 

“Mhmm…” I mumbled. “I tri...tried to stop her...from...from saying it...but I d-didn’t get to her in time.”

 

He sighed quietly. “One of the side effects of this spell is-”

 

“Fatigue? Insomnia?” I said, nearing a whisper. He nodded.

 

“Yeah...that.”

 

“Figures,” I muttered. “I’ve already had problems with…* _yawn_ *...insomnia.”

 

“You might’ve had problems with it before, but this is gonna make seem like a hundred times worse since you won’t be able to sleep at  _all_.”

 

“Oh, great,” I whined, wanting to sleep now more than ever but I found myself unable to keep my eyes closed.

 

“I’m guessing this is why you called me here?” He asked even though he already seemed to know the answer.

 

“I wanted t-to see if...if you could maybe….fix it...somehow...seeing as how y-you seem to know everything...about everything…”

 

He bit his lip. “Well...I’ve never had to help anyone with reversing this kind of spell,  _but_ I can try and help you figure it out. It might take some time though.”

 

“What? How long, exactly?” I asked nervously.

 

He chuckled slightly. “Don’t be so nervous Pine Tree, it’s not like it’s going to take forever. For me? It might only take a day or two.”

 

“Oh…” I whispered. “Do I...need to make a…* _yawn_ *...deal with you to...to do this?”

 

He just smiled a little. “I don’t really need anything, I mean, not that I can think of.”

 

I looked at him with confusion. “I-is that a...no...then?”

 

“You don’t have to make a deal with me, no.”

 

I raised an eyebrow. “B-but I thought you-”

 

“I think I should be allowed to help you of my own free will.” He said, laughing quietly. “I don’t  _always_ have to make a deal with someone if they need help, only if I feel like it.”

 

“Well...thanks…” I said gratefully with a small smile.

 

He waved his hand as if to dismiss it, still smiling. “It’s no big deal kid, okay? Now, could you tell me if there was anything in the journal about how to help reverse it?”

 

I shook my head. “I’ve read through basically the entire thing and I didn’t see anything.”

 

“Maybe you’re missing it somehow?” He asked. I looked at him.

 

“Are you suggesting that  _you_ look through it?”

 

“I’m not suggesting anything,” He said with a grin. “But if you  _want_ me to…”

 

“How do I know that...that I can trust you with it?” I asked skeptically. “How do I know that you won’t...y’know, try to destroy the world with it?”

 

He rolled his eyes. “If I wanted to do that, I probably would’ve done it by now don’t you think?” He asked. I didn’t say anything, still unsure. He sighed.

 

“I would only look through it to help you. Want me to promise? Because I will. I promise not to do anything while helping you.” He said, seemingly crossing his heart. I closed my eyes, sighing.

 

“Okay. I trust you then.” I said, standing up steadily. I took careful steps over to where I left it, watching so I wouldn’t trip over nothing again, and picked it up. I walked back over to Bill somewhat slowly, which made him look a little impatient, though he didn’t say anything. I looked at him, then the journal, then him again, hesitant.

 

“You said you trusted me, didn’t you?”

 

“S-sorry, sorry…” I stuttered, carefully handing it to him, watching to make sure he kept his promise. He then started flipping through the pages, scanning them over. I walked over to the window and looked out over into the woods.

 

“Find anything yet?” I asked a few minutes later, turning to face him.

 

“A little impatient, are we?” He asked without looking away from the pages, though I could still see the smirk on his face. I crossed my arms and glared at him, and he laughed.

 

“I’m just kidding; Yes, I found something that you must have missed if you want me to show you.” He said, beckoning for me to come over. He put his finger on the page, looking up at me with a small smile. I sat beside him on the bed.

 

“H...how did I miss this page? I’ve...I’m sure I read through everything...I…”

 

He put his hand up to stop me. “Don’t worry yourself about it, okay? Do you want to help me with it or not?”

 

“Well...yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

 

“Great!” He said, his smile widening. “What we need to get is a small black candle and something to hold it up, and a small knife.”

 

“Wait, why does the candle need to be black specifically?” I asked, slightly confused.

 

“Do you want this spell to be reversed?” He asked. I nodded slowly. “Then don’t worry about what color the candle needs to be, and just help me get one.”

 

“Right, sorry…” I said meekly. “But where... * _yawn_ *...would I find a  _black_ candle?”

 

“Hmm...would there be any here?” He asked.

 

“At the Shack?”

 

“Of course!” He exclaimed. “I mean, your Uncle sell all sorts of things to people right? There could be a chance of one being here if we look hard enough.”

 

“Well...okay, I guess so…” I mumbled. “Let’s go look around.”

 

I started heading towards the stairs wearily.

 

“Dipper wait-” I heard Bill say too late, and when I walked down, my foot couldn’t seem to find another step as I started to fall forward. I yelped, arms flailing to try and reach for something before I tumbled all the way down, but something seemed to grab hold of the back of my shirt before I did and yanked me upwards. I looked back to see a concerned and slightly annoyed Bill, and I found myself blushing a little.

 

He rolled his eyes. “I was  _going_ to say to wait for me before you fall down the stairs and hurt yourself more.”

 

I laughed nervously. “Right, um...oops?”

 

“Let’s just head downstairs to _gether_ , okay?”

 

I nodded, and let him help me downstairs the rest of the way.

 

We then walked until we got to the main entrance that led to the shop.

 

“Let’s start looking!” He said before seemingly disappearing off to nowhere. I sighed, deciding to check the front first for anything. After what seemed like a while of searching, I finally found what Bill was talking about.

 

“One black candle with something to hold it- check.” I said somewhat enthusiastically. “Now to find a small knife from the kitchen.”

 

_And to try and see where Bill is…_

 

When I started walking into the kitchen, I felt someone put their hand on my shoulder and I let out a small cry of surprise. I then heard laughing as someone appeared right in front of me, making me then jump and yell out again. I then scowled as I seen Bill laughing.

 

“Stop doing that!” I exclaimed angrily before my face heated up.

 

_Wait, am I blushing because he’s laughing?_

 

_I’ve...done that with Wendy before…_

 

“Stop doing what?” He asked, still laughing. He then stopped as he saw my face.

 

“Are you...blushing?” He asked teasingly, making me look away.

 

“No,” I muttered. “Did you find a small knife? I want to get this over with already.” I said quickly, changing the subject.

 

He chuckled before answering. “Yes I did, actually.”

 

He held up the small knife. “So do we have everything now?” I asked.

 

He nodded. “We just need to go someplace quiet and we should be good.”

 

“How about the attic?” I suggested.

 

“Let’s go then.” He said with a smile, grabbing my hand and heading back up the stairs quickly.

 

~

~

~

 

I sat down on the floor, with Bill across from me, journal beside him.

 

“You have the candle?” He asked. I nodded, getting it out to show him.

 

“Let me see it.”

 

I handed it over, watching as he also brought out the small paring knife. He cut the top of the candle off, and flipped it to the other side, and started whittling at it to expose the wick within a minute or two.

 

“How about the candle holder?”

 

“Here.” I said, getting it out and setting it in the middle. He put the newly carved candle into it.

 

“Won’t we need a-” I said before he used magic, making a small fire on his fingertip with a smirk.

 

“Won’t need any matches or lighters when you have magic anytime you need it.” He said before lighting the candle. He then looked at me.

 

“Look at the flame for a few seconds before closing your eyes and picturing the flame in your mind, then breathe in and out until your mind is quiet and you’re able to focus.”

 

I nodded, doing as I was told. I closed my eyes after a few seconds, and breathed in and out as I pictured the candle’s flame. Within a few more seconds, my mind seemed to clear, and I felt more focused.

 

“Open your eyes.”

 

I opened them slowly.

 

“Look at the flame for a few more seconds.” He said quietly, to which I nodded and concentrated on the candle.

 

“Okay; Grab hold of my hands and repeat what I say.”

 

“Okay,” I whispered, putting my hands in his and gripped slightly.

 

_‘Hoc accendit vicissim…’_

 

“ _Hoc accendit vicissim…_ ”

 

_‘sic fortuna adversa.’_

 

“ _sic fortuna adversa.”_

 

He looked at me. “Okay, now close your eyes again and focus on the bad luck that you’ve had as pieces of black cloth, and mentally ball them together. Once you are about ready to burst with anger at your bad luck, mentally throw them away from you with as much strength as you can, sending it into the distance.”

 

I nodded, closing my eyes and focusing on every bad thing that has happened so far today, and even before today. I did as I was told, and threw the ball with as much force as I could give.

 

“Repeat after me again, but with your eyes still closed.” He said quickly, to which I nodded.

 

_‘Fiat perfecta consumptio? Fiat perfecta consumptio? et aberit’_

 

“ _Fiat perfecta consumptio? Fiat perfecta consumptio? et aberit”_

 

_‘Novae vitae mi hodiernum diem.’_

 

_“Novae vitae mi hodiernum diem.”_

 

“Open and study the flame again.” He said. I opened my eyes to see a small smile on his face, returning the gesture before looking at the candle again.

 

“Repeat after me one more time.”

 

“Okay,” I said, feeling more weary- and empty- from the spells.

 

‘ _Refulget lucernam flamma, adfer mihi multo tempore,’_

 

“ _Refulget lucernam flamma, adfer mihi multo tempore,”_

 

_‘Cui nubibus atris abiit relinquar, Solis luceat me et meos.’_

 

_“Cui nubibus atris abiit relinquar, Solis luceat me et meos.”_

 

I then felt as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders the moment the spell ended, and I sighed quietly in relief. When I realized my hands were still in his, I pulled them away, my face warming up as I smiled sheepishly. He smirked at my reaction.

 

“Now we just need to let this burn out on its own, and you should be okay now...Are you?” He asked.

 

“I feel like a weight’s been lifted off me if that’s what you’re referring to.”

 

He chuckled. “That indeed is what I was referring to, Pine Tree.” He said, standing up, offering his hand to help me up with a sly smile. I raised my eyebrows, biting my lip a little as I hesitantly grabbed hold, feeling myself being pulled upwards.

 

“Thanks…”

 

“No need to thank me...and say sorry all the time.” He added with a short laugh.

 

“Sorry,” I blurted out, blushing when I realized I’ve said it for probably the millionth time today. He shook his head smiling, looking amused.

 

He walked closer. “You do remember that I can read your thoughts right?” He said in a hushed tone. I gulped, rubbing the back of my neck as I, again, laughed nervously.

 

“Y-yeah, I remember…”

 

“You like me...don’t you?” He questioned. “As in, you have a ‘crush’ on me?”

 

I backed away as he moved closer. “I, um...ah,” I said, unable to speak coherently. I cleared my throat as I found my voice and whispered.

 

“Maybe…”

 

I felt myself hit the wall as he laughed under his breath, putting both hands on either side of me.

 

“Yeah? Well, maybe I like you too Dipper…” He whispered in my ear, smirking as he backed away.

 

“I’d really love to stay but I’ve got places I’ve gotta be!” He said in his normal tone.

 

“B-but-”

  
“See ya, kid!” He said before disappearing, leaving me in a shocked and surprised state.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bill can be such an ass sometimes


	6. I'm Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill is mad at Dipper and Dipper wants to find out why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so short oh my goooddd I am so sorry ;-; I hope you still like it!

Normally, I wouldn't mind if Bill came to the Mystery Shack or not to bug me with something...but something seems odd. It seems as if he's avoiding me without letting me know why he's doing it in the first place, and to be honest, I'm concerned.

I decided to try and use his spell to summon him, to see if he would hopefully show up.

_"_ _Triangulum, entangulum. Meteforis dominus ventium. Meteforis venetisarium!"_

I smiled slightly when I seen him appear after a few seconds, but it went away when I seen the expression on his face when he saw who summoned him. He floated to the ground, crossing his arms and glaring.

"What." He said, sounding disinterested, yet annoyed that he was here in the first place.

"Is...everything okay?" I asked cautiously. He let out a short laugh.

"You summoned me here...to ask if everything was  _okay_? Are you kidding me?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm not." I said seriously. "I asked if everything was okay because you've been avoiding me for days and not telling me why."

He scoffed. "Who says I was avoiding you? I have my own demonly things that need taken care of besides visiting and annoying you. If that was all, then I'll gladly take my leave-"

"No!" I yelled, making him look at me in surprise. I walked closer to him until I was about 2 feet away. "Don't you dare go  _anywhere_ until you tell me why you've been avoiding me. Don't tell me that you haven't been doing it purposely when you  _know_ you have, Bill."

"It's unlike you to not come over here as often as you can." I walked closer to him. "Please just tell me...was it something I said or did?" I pleaded gently. "Because if it was, I-"

"Stop." He interrupted. "Just stop, alright? I don't need to hear it."

I looked at him with confusion. "Hear what? Bill seriously, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned with the unusual attitude he had on him. "What did I do? Could you please just tell me?"

"Why should I explain? You should know already why I haven't been coming here." He said with sass.

"What's with your attitude?" I asked lividly. "If I knew why you weren't talking to me, then why would I summon you here and question you like this? Now can you please tell me why you're acting this way?"

"You really want to know? Fine. I've been 'avoiding' you because of all the shit your family has said about me." He answered crossly, eyes starting to glow red instead of their normal golden color.

"If it's them who's been saying things, then why are you mad at  _me_? I haven't said anything bad about you."

"No, Pine Tree, it's the fact that when they say bad things about me, you don't even stop them! You just go along with it like it's no big deal, though the things they're saying aren't true and  _you know it_." He sneered. "You wanted to know why I haven't been talking to you, and now you know why, so I'm leaving."

"Bill please don't leave," I begged, grabbing his arm before he could disappear from me. I sighed, looking down at my feet, feeling shameful. "Look, I'm really sorry that I haven't been standing up for you. I should have been, but I haven't been, and I'm sorry. I know they're wrong with what they say, and it's not right of me to let them say things that aren't true about you."

I looked back up at him, still holding onto him. "I'm so sorry..." I whispered, sadness overwhelming me as I suddenly felt tears prick at my eyes. I hugged him to me tightly, making him gasp quietly. "Please don't go Bill...please..."

I heard him breathe out somewhat shakily as he gently pushed away from me, eyes now their normal color.

"No need to be so emotional or clingy, kid." He said with a small smirk. He then sighed.

"Look, I'm not going anywhere," He said softly. "If you really want me to- then I'll stay for a while longer, okay?"

I smiled gratefully as I hugged him to me again. "Thank you." I said, voice muffled by his overcoat. I felt him chuckle as he returned the gesture, putting his chin on top of my head.

"Anything for my little Pine Tree." He said, which, in turn, made me blush slightly.

"So...you're not mad at me anymore...a-are you?" I stuttered anxiously.

"I don't think I could ever stay mad at you for a long period of time." He laughed. "Especially with the way you act, which I find adorable by the way."

I felt my face heat up a little more. "....Adorable? Really? Because I don't really think I'm-"

"Oh shush," He interrupted. "I think I can call my boyfriend whatever I want, don't you think?"

I chuckled nervously. I'm...still trying to get used to the fact that....me and him are...a 'thing'. Though it  _has_ only been a couple months or so...

Should I be used to it by now? Then again, I've never been in a relationship with a guy...

"... _Helloooo?_ Dipper, you still there?" I heard someone say before laughing. I look at Bill sheepishly, realizing I must have been staring into space again.

"Sorry, just...thinking."

He smiled slyly as he tilted my chin up to face him. "You need to stop thinking so much," He said, nearing closer. "And," He murmured, moving towards my jawline. "Just," His voice lowering, leaving a small kiss and making me gasp softly. "Relax." He breathed, finishing his sentence as his lips just barely touched mine, smirking before fully pressing them to mine in a firm but gentle kiss as I let out a squeak of surprise.

My eyes fluttered shut as I melted into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck as I felt my legs weaken. My stomach seemed to be doing flips, making my face feel as if it were on fire, yet not wanting to stop any time soon.

Though the need for oxygen soon came and I reluctantly stopped and pulled away slightly, panting quietly as I looked into his eyes through half-lidded vision with a small smile. He chuckled breathily.

"You truly are something special, you know that?"

"So are you," I said with a grin before quickly kissing the tip of his nose, which had him make a weird face before he also smiled.  


	7. "I'm Bored"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short one...sorry about that ^^; Enjoy!~

_Ugh...So bored…_

 

_Oh I know! I can visit Pine Tree_

 

_I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, what with me being his boyfriend and all_

 

_The mindscape can get pretty boring after a while, anyways…_

 

So with that thought, I decided to see what he was up to by transporting myself to where I knew he would most likely be.

 

I appeared to see him sitting by the window as he usually did when he came to the attic. I grinned as I greeted him.

 

“Hiya Dip-stick! How’s it going?” I asked over-enthusiastically, making him squeak in surprise before he realized who spoke. He looked over, rolling his eyes and  smiling slightly when he seen me.

 

“Well hi to you too,” He said with a chuckle. “What’s my favorite Dorito want today?”

 

“Who says I want something?” I asked innocently, floating over to him. “Maybe I just wanted to visit my most favorite boyfriend in the universe.”

 

    He looked at me curiously. “Most favorite?” He asked. “Have you had one before me?”

 

    “Nope!” I exclaimed. “I’ve never had reason to before I met you.”

 

    He blushed slightly. “Anyways…” He said, trying to change the subject. “Why did you come here, really?”

 

    “I already told you silly.” I said with a sweet smile. “I wanted to come and see you. Am I not allowed?”

 

    “I never said that,” He said quietly. “I know you enough though to know you didn’t just want to visit me.”

 

    I sighed somewhat dramatically before answering. “Fiiine, I was bored and needed something to do.”

 

    “And?”

 

    “And I thought of you!” I said with a grin. “Surely you have something fun to do, don’t you?”

 

    He gave a short laugh. “Me? Have something fun to do, y’know, besides reading? I know you don’t care much for reading, so you’re  _kinda_ out of luck here.”

 

    I moved closer so I was face to face with him. “That so? Well then, guess I’ll have to find us something to do then.” I murmured, smirking when I seen him bite his lip nervously.

 

    “L-like...what, exactly?” He stuttered.

 

    “This.” I whispered before reaching up and snatching his hat with a giggle and disappearing to the other side of the room.

 

    “Bill, give it back!” He yelled before running over to me to try and take it back. I laughed before disappearing again next to the window.

 

    “If you want it you’ll have to catch me first!” I said with another smirk. I heard him groan before running over to me but missing as I disappeared again before he could get to me, this time next to the stairs.

 

    “Bill come on!” He said. “Give it back!”

 

    “If you want it so badly then come and get it.” I said lowly with a sly smile. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

 

“Fine. I’ll play your game.” He said darkly with a smile and glare before rushing over to me. I laughed before running down the stairs, with Dipper trailing behind me. I ran through almost every room, feeling entertained by the fact that he was still determinedly chasing me, and feeling a little surprised since I knew he wasn’t exactly the most athletic person I knew.

 

I ran until I found his room, feeling slightly happier that we were the only ones here for once. I stopped to take a breath as I panted slightly from the exercise. I looked back quickly when I heard footsteps coming closer, and he stopped about a few feet away.

 

“Give it.” He demanded lightly.

 

“Why don’t you make me?” I asked suggestively in a quiet tone, simpering. He ran towards me, making me run into his room. I stopped unexpectedly, turning around and making him run into me, falling with an ‘ _oof_ ’- him landing on top of me.

 

He had a slight glare on his face, but when he realized the situation, his face flushed, making me smirk. Looking at me, his hair was in a mess from all the chasing, and fell slightly in front of his face. With him still panting from all the running, I chuckled.

 

“You still want your hat back?” I breathed. He bit his lip for a few seconds before licking them.

 

“You know what? Forget the hat.” He growled slightly before pressing his lips to mine feverishly, surprising me a little with the force of the kiss.

 

Within a few seconds, I pushed away slightly, smiling deviously whilst catching a breath.

 

“Who says you get to be the dominant one?” I asked, making both of us stand up as I pushed him to the wall, holding his wrists and pushing against him so he couldn’t move. “I came here because  _I_ needed something fun to do-”

 

“And  _I’m_ helping to keep you from being bored, aren’t I?”

 

“That you are,” I purred before lowering my voice to a whisper. “But I’m in charge right now.” I told him with a quick kiss on the neck, making him shiver slightly.

 

“I-”

 

“Even if it  _is_ your house.” I said with a smirk, knowing that’s what he was going to say.

  
“Now,” I whispered. “Let’s have some fun, shall we?”


	8. The Bet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill and Dipper make a bet on who can stay up all night without being the first to fall asleep

Although he didn’t want to at first, I convinced Dipper to watch a scary movie with me-  _and_ as an added bonus his Great Uncle Stan said I could stay the night as long as we didn’t make too much noise and didn’t break anything (last part mainly aimed at me). It was already getting late, around 10 or so- which wasn’t uncommon since Dipper stayed up late most nights anyways- when an idea came to mind. Grinning, I turned towards him and tapped him on the shoulder, making him yelp and jump slightly before turning to me with a slight glare.

 

    “Don’t scare me like that!” He scolded.

 

    “How about we stay up all night?” I asked excitedly. He looked at me with confusion.

 

    “Why do you want to stay up all night?” He asked before giving a suspicious look. “Are you planning anything that could get me in trouble?”

 

    I rolled my eyes and gave him an ‘are-you-serious’ kind of look. “What could I possibly have planned that would get you in trouble? Besides, I already told your Uncle I wouldn’t do anything.”

 

    “Well then why do you-”

 

    “Aren’t you supposed to have an ‘all-nighter’ as you would call it at a sleepover?”

 

    “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea…” He said, sounding unsure.

 

    “Oh, come on! Please?” I begged, basically tackling him on the couch- making him gasp a little- straddling him as I pouted. He struggled a little to try and get up, but gave a resigned sigh as he knew he wouldn’t be able to.

 

    “ _Fine_ , fine, we can stay up all night. Just...can you get off of me first?” He said, blushing slightly. I stood up with a cheer, basically bouncing with excitement as I grinned at him before hugging him to me quickly.

 

    “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou-” I said before he put his hand over my mouth to quiet me with a chuckle.

 

    “I don’t understand how you’re so enthusiastic about this when you’re gonna be dead tired in the morning.” He said before smirking. “That is...if you  _can_ stay up all night without falling asleep before morning.”

 

    I scoffed as I crossed my arms. “What’s  _that_ supposed to mean? Why would I do that?”

 

    “Well, with you being in human form, you would tire more easily than if you were in your normal form seeing as how we all have basic needs.  _One_ of them, being sleep.” He said with a knowing smile.

 

    I glared at him slightly. “And who says I can’t stay up all night without getting tired? You, right?”

 

    “That’s  _exactly_ what I’m saying. I don’t know about you, but I’m  _used_ to staying up almost half the night, if not the whole night. You on the other hand, probably not since you’re not really human, per-say.”

 

    “Is that a bet, Pine Tree?”

 

    “If you want it to be, then yeah.” He said as if he knew that he would win.

 

    “Okay, it’s a bet then.” I said, holding my hand out as we shook on it.

 

    “You’re on, Cipher.”

 

▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

 

    It was now going on 2 o’clock, and so far so good. Neither of us feel even a hint of exhaustion yet. We’ve been watching scary movies and random TV shows for the past 4 hours to pass the time. I turned to Dipper with a smile on my face.

 

    “Why don’t we get something to help us stay awake for the night?”

 

    “But isn’t that cheating?” He asked.

 

    “No, not technically since we never said anything about it. So...how about it?” I asked again eagerly. He rolled his eyes and laughed slightly.

 

    “Okay, I uh...I guess we can do that. But where are we gonna get anything if all the stores are closed-”

 

    I grinned, snapping my fingers and making snacks, soda- even energy drinks- appear out of thin air and onto a table, making his jaw drop and eyes widen.

 

    “W-where did you…” He stuttered, unable to finish his sentence. I laughed as I answered sarcastically.

 

    “Gee, sure is great being a  _magical demon_ with _magical powers_ to bring  _anything_  I want into existence...even snacks and drinks with just the snap of my fingers.”

 

    He looked away, crossing his arms and blushing out of embarrassment.

 

    “Y’know, there’s no need for the sarcasm.” He muttered before speaking under his breath.

 

    I smiled, raising an eyebrow. “What was that you said there, Pine Tree?”

 

    He turned back towards me with an innocent-looking smile. “Oh, it was nothing,” He said before smirking a little.

 

    I shook my head, crossing my arms as I looked at him. “Tsk, tsk...calling me names. That’s not nice.”

 

    He laughed as he answered. “What? I only called you a-”

 

    “A ‘stupid, magical floating Dorito demon’?” I asked, mocking an expression of hurt and anger.

 

    He waved it off. “Pfft, wh _aat_? I don’t know what you’re talking about, I didn’t say that.”

 

    “Surely you could come up with something better than that, can’t you?” I teased, making him grin slyly.

 

    “What, does cornchip sound better?” He said with a chuckle as he grabbed a soda and opened it, releasing a ‘hissing’ sound as he took a drink.

 

    “I’m not even in my normal form so why would you even call me anything triangle related?” I asked before also grinning. “And how does the nickname Dipstick sound to you?”

 

    Instead of answering, he just kinda fell to the couch giggling. I looked at him curiously, wondering what was so funny.

 

    “Um...are you okay?” I asked, confused. He laughed a little before answering.

 

    “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Sorry.”

 

    “Anyways~” Changing the subject. “I think I’m going to try one of those energy drinks that people seem to enjoy.”

 

    “Is that really a good idea, Bill?” He asked. “You’re already hyper enough all the time- plus you’re not a human naturally, and the energy drink would just make it worse.”

 

    “Well how about we see what it does to me then?”

 

    He shrugged his shoulders. I took that as a yes and grabbed a can and opened it. I smelled it first just to see what it was like.

 

    “It just smells like any other drink.” He smirked as I said so.

 

    “See for yourself.” He said, motioning for me to try it. I rolled my eyes.

 

     _It’s just a drink...how bad can it be?_

 

“Just don’t take a-” He tried to warn but was too late as I took a big drink of it anyways. I gasped as my energy seemed to suddenly increase rapidly out of nowhere, making my eyes dilate in sudden shock. I then surprised him as I started to laugh somewhat maniacally from the burst of energy and start bouncing on my feet like a child.

 

    “This is great!” I exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me about these earlier these are  _amazing_.” I said, taking another drink.

 

    “Bill, I think maybe you should take it easy-”

 

    “But why would I do that? You can’t just let me drink this then take it away from me just like that especially now that I know that they’re possibly one of the  _best things ever_  in the  _whole entire_ _universe_!” I said rather quickly, feeling more fidgety as I drank more.

 

    “Bill seriously you should probably-” He tried again before I grabbed ahold of him, jumping up and down while still laughing uncontrollably.

 

    “This is possibly one of the  _bestthingsever_ ,” I said excitedly, eyes growing wider before disappearing and reappearing in random corners of the room, unable to control myself as my heart beat frantically. I appeared in a random corner as Dipper grabbed me before I could disappear again.

 

    “You  _need_ to calm down and control yourself. You can’t be yelling and waking everyone up-”

 

    “I’m sorry I just can’t stop myself,” I said with another laugh. “I have  _so_ _much ENERGY_ right now and-”

 

    “Do you know what time it is right now? It’s almost 3 in the morning and normal people are trying to sleep right now.”

 

    “Can you let me go so I can have more?” I asked, not comprehending a word he said.

 

    “No,” He said sternly. “I don’t think you need any more of it. Can’t  _you_ see how hyped up you are right now?”

 

    I just stared at him blankly, still unable to stop laughing as the caffeine made me shaky.

 

    “Be right back!” I said, disappearing from his grip and over to the drink. He dashed over and took it before I could have anymore of it and went into the kitchen, dumping the rest in the sink.

 

    “Aww, why’d you do that?” I whined, pouting again. “You’re no fun.”

 

    “Has any of the energy from it gone away yet?” He asked, ignoring the question. I grinned suddenly.

 

    “Nope!” I giggled, which made him sigh and rub his temples.

 

    I practically bounced over to him. “You feeling tired there, Pines?” I asked with a smirk.

 

    “Oh please, I’ve stayed up later than this. Y’know that the energy you have from that energy drink will wear off eventually right?” He asked.

 

I scoffed. “Yeah, and?”

 

“ _And_ when that energy wears off, you’ll feel super tired and pass out; Therefore, making it so I win the bet.”

 

I glared at him. “I don’t think so, Pine Tree. I’m gonna win no matter how I feel.”

 

He just smiled. “We’ll see about that.”

 

▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

 

Eventually 6 rolled around, and let me just say that…

 

That Pine Tree was actually right about the energy eventually wearing off.

 

After a few more hours of me just being absolutely weird and overly-hyper, I felt the exhaustion that a normal human would feel after almost a full night of staying up with no sleep.

 

Not that I was about to admit it to him to his face. Though...trying to keep my eyes open and act like I was fine was harder than I thought it’d be.

 

We eventually went up to his room after a while and just talked and relaxed while I tried my best to not lose the bet.

 

“You...feeling tired yet...Dipstick?” I asked with a smirk. He looked at me- with him now looking just about almost as tired as I did, though he tried not to show it- and laughed quietly.

 

“Far...from it...actually. You?”

 

“Ha! As if.” I scoffed. “Told you I was gonna...win.” I said, holding back a yawn.

 

“You forgetting something?” He asked with a small smile. “I’m...still...awake.”

 

“But not for much l...longer...right?” I asked, stifling another yawn.

 

“What was that? Could it have been...a yawn?” He teased. I rolled my eyes slightly.

 

“You’re obviously delusional from lack of sleep,” I argued. “Because I did nothing of the sort, and you’re seeing things.”

 

“Yeah okay, sure. Whatever you say, Bill.”

 

I gave a slight glare as I answered. “You  _do_ know who I am right?”

 

“Um...Bill Cipher, right? The magical Dorito demon.” He added with a chuckle.

 

“Oh shut up, Pine Tree. When I make bets,” I said, moving closer. “I. don’t. lose.”

 

“Well there’s a first time for everything, right?” He answered, grinning. I growled almost silently, now looking away.

 

▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

 

We both decided to just lay down for the rest of the time to see who would fall asleep first and lose.

 

The more I struggled to keep my eyes open, the harder it became to not just give in.

 

_Just so turns out I might not win after all_

 

▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

 

    Turns out that, in the end, neither won, as they were found by Dipper’s Grunkle Stan a few hours later around 11 or so, asleep, cuddling with each other. He figured what they’d been up to and that they had most likely been up the entire night, trying to see who would fall asleep first.

 

    Reminds him of when  _he_ was younger and he had tried to do the same thing with his brother, Ford. He chuckled, deciding to just let them sleep in and have them deal with it when they woke up later about who won and who lost.

  
     _‘Should be interesting…’_ He thought to himself before he closed the door slowly as to not wake them, and made his way back downstairs to get ready to open up shop.


	9. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings:  
> -Angst  
> -Blood/Violence  
> -Depression  
> -Death
> 
> I am so sorry for this ;-; The idea just came to me and I felt like I should write it. Tbh I cried when I wrote it...You can feel free to hate me for this particular Oneshot

_“Hey Bill? How... how much do you know about... love? And having feelings for someone?” Pine Tree asked me, making me give him a confused look._

 

_“Mh... I’m not sure... why are you asking me though? Couldn’t you ask your Uncle or sister?”_

 

_He looked down, twiddling his fingers as if he were nervous. “Well…” He started. “You’re supposed to know about anything and anyone in the universe, aren’t you?”_

 

_“What are you getting at?” I asked._

 

_“Aren’t you?” He repeated._

 

_“Well... yeah, but…” I looked away for a second before turning back towards him. “Is... there someone that you like or something?” He averted his gaze as a blush crept onto his face slightly._

 

_“Yeah, actually... I do…” He said with a quiet tone. “And... and I was wondering if... if you could…”_

 

_I looked at him with a small smirk. “You want me to help you on how to tell that person, right?” He chuckled nervously._

 

_“O-only if you can or want to, that is…”_

 

_“If you knew I couldn’t, I don’t think you’d be asking me, would you?”_

 

_“I suppose I wouldn’t be.” He said with a quiet laugh._

 

_“Do this person know you on a personal level?” I prompted, making him nod and answer quietly._

 

_“Yes... “_

 

_“How long have you known them?”_

 

_“... About 4 years… “ I thought for a second._

 

_“Do they live in Gravity Falls?” I asked, thinking of some of the possible people he might like here- which, to be honest- wasn’t very many, knowing him._

 

_“Er... you could say that.” He answered, which made me confused again._

 

_“Okay... what’s_ _that_ _supposed to mean? Are you saying they_ _do_ _or_ _don’t_ _live here?”_

 

_“It’s...complicated.” He answered in a truthful tone, making me sigh._

 

_“Look, this isn’t helping very much. Don’t you want me to help you?”_

 

_“I do want you to help me!” He said quickly. “It’s... it’s just that…”_

 

_I waited for him to answer, which took a few minutes- much to my impatience- before I finally got one, as he looked at me- his blush darkening a little more._

 

_“Bill, I... I think I…”_

 

_‘I think I love you.’ I read his thoughts before a shocked expression appeared on my face, basically telling him I now knew as he looked down once more._

 

_“Is that true?” I asked quietly. “You... love me?”_

 

_..._

 

_“Yes…” He whispered shakily. I bit my lip, sucking in a breath before using my hand to gently lift his face so he’d look at me. He looked as if he were about to cry, his eyes glassy with unshed tears._

 

_“I’m sorry,” He said, his voice cracking as he held them back. “I knew you might not feel the same way. I...I didn’t mean to-” I put one finger on his lips, silencing him as I gave a small smile._

 

_“You don’t need to apologize for the way you feel, kid. It’s not like you can help it.” He smiled only slightly before tears ran down his face._

 

_“Imagine that, huh? Me falling for a demon.” He said shakily as he laughed under his breath.  “Not like it would work out anyway…”_

 

_I moved closer to him, making him jump a little._

 

_“I may be a demon, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings, or that it wouldn’t ‘work out’.” He looked at me, confused._

 

 _“But... you don’t seem like the person to like- let alone_   _love_ _\- someone back…”_

 

_I chuckled. “Yeah, and you don’t seem like the person who would fall in love with a supernatural being, let alone a demon like me.” Which made him feel a little better, and even smile genuinely as he looked at me before his expression saddened again as he turned around completely._

 

 _“I just don’t see how it_ _would_   _work out. I mean, you’re immortal and have no weaknesses, and…” His voice cracked again slightly before answering almost inaudibly. “I’m the complete opposite. I won’t live forever like you.”_

 

_“Dipper…” I voiced, surprising him and making him turn around again. I rolled my eyes._

 

_“Yeah, I called you by your name instead of some other nickname. Point is,” I said, cupping his face in my hands as I tried moving close again. “The fact that I’m immortal means nothing, alright? It_ _shouldn’t_ _matter.”_

 

_I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. “I say, that we just make the most of it. You’re still alive, aren’t you?” He nodded. “Then it doesn’t matter.”_

 

_“But…”_

 

_‘How do you feel about me?’ He thought anxiously, which made me laugh quietly._

 

_“You want to know how I feel about you?” He nodded again. “I definitely care about you. A lot- probably as much as you do about me. Ever since you first came here as a 12 year old who just wanted to figure out the mysteries of this town, and didn’t exactly like me the first time you saw me seeing as how I only visited you to annoy the hell out of you.” I said with a chuckle. “With you being 16 now, after watching you grow and act more mature, and growing closer to you, I guess you could say that... that I love you too, kid.”_

 

_His eyes widened. “Wait, you... do?”_

 

_“Would I lie to you? Especially about this?” I asked with a smirk, making him laugh airily before turning a little more serious as pink tinted his face once again._

 

_“Bill?” He whispered. “C-can you…”_

 

_“Kiss you?” I smirked._

 

_“Please,” He whispered again, eyes pleading. It now being my turn- my face growing warm at the request- I nodded slowly._

 

_“Okay,” I murmured before carefully pressing my lips to his, gently placing my hand on the back of his neck as I closed my eyes. I felt him wrap his arms around me as he pulled me closer to him, his heart beating rapidly, as well as mine as I thought of nothing else but just him._

 

_I couldn’t seem to think coherently as I subconsciously deepened the kiss, with him not seeming to mind as I slowly coaxed him into just barely opening his mouth, his breath mixing with mine as he panted lightly. I groaned inwardly, enjoying the feeling washing through my entire body, the need for him growing immensely._

 

_Until my mind suddenly cleared and I realized the situation, making me pull away slightly to look at him, catching my breath. He looked at me, eyes only half open, with slight confusion._

 

_“Is everything okay?” He breathed, concern on his face. I averted my gaze for a second as I bit down on my lip._

 

_“I feel like I’m rushing everything,” I said anxiously. “I mean, you just told me not long ago about how you felt, and already I’m-”_

 

_He let out a breathy laugh. “You’re not doing anything wrong, alright? You’re not rushing anything, and if you were I think I would know too, don’t you think?”_

 

_“Look, Pine Tree, at what we’re doing right now. Don’t you feel even a little rushed? Because I don’t want you to.”_

 

_He smiled softly. “Trust me, I’m okay... and what exactly are we doing that’s making you think I feel rushed? You’re only kissing me- there’s nothing wrong with that.” He moved closer so that his nose touched mine._

 

_“I didn’t say you had to stop,” He whispered._

 

_“Dipper-”_

 

_“Please just kiss me again,” He breathed with longing in his voice, making my breath catch in my throat as I swallowed nervously. “Please... we don’t have to anything else but that... please Bill…”_

 

_I don’t know if it was the way he was basically pleading to me, or the way he said my name needily, but I sighed shakily as I answered simply by just barely pressing my lips to his in an unsure manner. I gasped silently as he grabbed the collar of my coat, pulling me down on top of him in his bed. When I saw the want in his eyes, begging, I shook off all other thoughts as I kissed him passionately, feeling slightly better with his words in mind._

 

 _▲▲▲▲▲▲_ ▲

 

~ _3 Years Later~_

 

_“Happy Birthday, my precious little Pine Tree,” I murmured with a sly grin as I kissed the corner of his mouth, making a blush creep onto his face faintly._

 

_“Bill~” He whined, slightly embarrassed that his sister and her friends were all in the same room, along with his 2 Great Uncles Stanley and Stanford._

 

_“Dipper~” I mocked, chuckling as I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him to me, which in turn, made the girls squeal with delight._

 

_~_

 

_His sister, her friends, Stan and Ford eventually found out about our relationship about 6 months after it had begun. How’d they find out you ask? Well, if it wasn’t obvious, they walked in on me kissing his neck, and when Dipper heard the door open and seen who it was he gasped,  his entire face turning completely red as he pushed me away quickly but gently. I just turned to see who it was and smirked before starting to laugh at how embarrassed Pine Tree looked. All 3 of them (Mabel, Stan, and Ford) had a shocked expression on their face before his sister started jumping up and down yelling excitedly, Ford just smiled and shook his head with his arms crossed, and Stan also starting to laugh at Dipper’s expression._

 

_They all didn’t seem to mind, though Ford took a little longer to adjust because of...well, y’know, troubles from the past- but he eventually got past it and fully supports us. Shooting Star didn’t take long to call up her friends to tell them the news of her brother having a boyfriend (let alone dating someone in general), and they all started yelling and talking excitedly. Stan seems to tease him every once in awhile, but means no harm and doesn’t seem to care as long as I didn’t cause trouble or hurt him in any way._

 

_~_

 

_“I just can’t get over how_ _cute_ _you two are!” Mabel exclaimed with a toothy grin. “Ohmigosh~”_

 

_“I know right?” Candy joined in. “It’s like they were_ _meant_ _for each other.”_

 

_“_ _I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP._ _” Grenda added rather loudly, sounding as excited as the other two._

 

_“_ _BillDip! BillDip! BillDip!_ _” Mabel started, the other two eventually joining in. Pine Tree hid his face in my coat as his blush deepened, making Stanley laugh hysterically and make me chuckle as I rested my chin on top of his head._

 

_“Don’t mind them,” Ford said with a sincere smile. “It is you and your sister’s 19th birthday, you shouldn’t feel anything but happy on this day.”_

 

_“Hey,_ _I’m_ _supposed to make him feel better,” I said, mocking a glare as I held him closer. “I_ _am_ _his boyfriend after all.”_

 

_Dipper just whined again, not moving. “I’d rather not feel embarrassed on my birthday, thank you very much.” He said sheepishly, though it was slightly muffled by my coat. He then looked towards his family. “Including each and every one of you.” Then he turned towards me with accusingly, making me put my hands up in surrender as I laughed._

 

_“Okay okay, I won’t do anything.”_

 

_“Presents time!” Mabel yelled out excitedly. I smiled as I looked at Dipper, who in return looked at me suspiciously._

 

_“What? You have a present for me or something?” I nodded._

 

_“Yep! But you need to wait until later to see it.” I told him, which he groaned at._

 

_“Fiiine, I’ll wait. Better be worth it.” He muttered. I laughed airily before I gave him a quick kiss on the lips._

 

_“Oh, it will be. Trust me.”_

 

_~_

 

_After a few more hours of ‘partying’ (Mabel was basically in charge of the music, decorations, etc.), everything calmed and everyone went out to celebrate, except Dipper who just wanted some time to relax at the Mystery Shack._

 

_“So what’s this present you had to wait until everyone left to give me?” He asked curiously, crossing his arms. I smiled widely, holding up a finger as a signal to wait, before snapping my fingers and having a small-ish box appear in my hand. He raised an eyebrow._

 

_“A box?” He questioned, which made me rolled my eyes before holding it out to him._

 

_“You need to open it, silly. You_ _do_ _know how to open them, don’t you?” I teased, making him glare._

 

_“Oh shut it, Cornchip.” He muttered, making me laugh as he, again, blushed a little. He opened it, and gasped, covering his mouth slightly._

 

_In it he found a circular galaxy necklace which was slightly golden, and in the middle was a triangle. He took it out, and held it up a little higher to get a better look. He looked at me._

 

_“Bill,” He said, sounding breathless. “H-how..._ _Where_ _did you... get this?” He stared at it, amazed. I walked closer to him._

 

_“I have my ways, kid.” I said with a smirk before gently taking it from his hand and putting it around his neck. “And look,” I added before reaching for the necklace I had hidden by my shirt, and pulling it out for him to see. “Mine’s like yours, except mine has a Pine Tree in the middle instead of a triangle.”_

 

_He seemingly chuckled to himself, looking as if he were about to cry before hugging me as tightly as he could, with me letting out a quiet, surprised yelp._

 

_“Thank you Bill,” He mumbled happily when I returned the embrace. “It’s amazing…”_

 

_“It’s... nothing, really…” I said somewhat awkwardly, trying to brush it off. He pulled back and looked at me, pretending to be upset._

 

_“It’s not ‘nothing’. It’s... it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve ever gotten.” He said, his voice quieting towards the end as he held it in his hand once more with a smile. He then walked over, wrapping his arms around my neck._

 

_“You are the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”_

 

_“You mean the_ _only_ _boyfriend you’ve ever had,” I said with a sly grin, making him roll his eyes as I put my arms around his waist._

 

_“Yeah, whatever, Cipher.” He said with mock annoyance before turning serious. “I love you,” He whispered. “So much. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you…”_

 

_I could feel my face warm up as my heart pounded furiously._

 

_‘No one’s ever said that to me before…’ I thought to myself._

 

_“You’re so cheesy.” I joked. He looked as if he were going to say something, but I interrupted._

 

_“I love you too, Dipper.” I answered truthfully with a small smile as I pulled him into a kiss that seemed to last forever._

 

 _▲▲▲▲▲▲_ ▲

 

_~5 Years Later~_

 

_“Relax Bill, okay? I promise I’ll be right back, I just need to run somewhere quickly.”_

 

_I was standing in front of the door of the Mystery Shack, unwilling to let him outside for a reason only I knew. “Let me come with you then.” I insisted. He rolled his eyes, scoffing as he crossed his arms._

 

_“I think I’m old enough to go to places on my own, you don’t need to come with me all the time.” He said, making a frustrated noise as he tried to get around me, but I blocked him. “Bill, let me through!”_

 

_“Trust me, it wouldn’t be a good idea to go out there.” I said worriedly, though my tone seemed to go over his head as he scowled at me._

 

_“Move.”_

 

_“No.” I said sternly. “Dipper, are you even_ _listening_ _to what I’m saying?”_

 

_“I_ _said_ _I’d be right back.” He growled slightly as he pushed me out of the way rather harshly and went out the door, closing it on his way out. I pulled at my hair slightly as I let out a frustrated yell._

 

_‘Why does he need to be so stubborn,’ I thought angrily, though still anxious as I looked out the window to see him walking away. I’d go after him, but it probably wouldn’t help much if he caught me following him._

 

_Just please don’t let my vision be right…_

 

_~_

 

_A few hours passed, and I felt more and more nervous as the minutes went by that Dipper didn’t come back. He had left at around noon, it was now going on 6 or so, it being dark because of it being fall. I let out a shaky breath as I focused on trying to find where he was,deciding to transport myself to some of the likely places that he would have gone to, but with no luck. My bad feeling grew the longer I went without finding him, and I felt as if I was going to be sick with how nervous I was. With no other options, I decided to go into the woods- not that I would want to find him here being scared as I was- and once again transported to certain spots in the woods that he liked to go to when he needed time to think. I heard a loud growl come from behind me, and instead of turning to run like a normal person might’ve, I ran towards the sound, hoping to find him._

 

_As soon as I arrived at my destination, I gasped, both out of surprise and fear, at what I saw._

 

_The creature just seemed to be a large shadow, though when it turned around, it had glowing red eyes and sharp teeth as it opened it’s mouth, cackling at the sight of my arrival._

 

_“Well, well, well,” It taunted. “If it isn’t the infamous dream demon himself. I know why you’re here. How’s it been, Mr. Cipher? I hope life is treating you well, my friend. Though, I don’t understand just why you’d choose to be in this form instead of your normal one.”_

 

_I growled, my eyes starting to glow fiery red in anger before blue flames appeared in both of my hands that lay at my sides. “Where is he,” I said in a threatening tone. “You son of a-”_

 

_“Woah, woah, woah, watch the language, Mr. Cipher,” He laughed devilishly. “Or you might end up like your little friend over there.” He gestured towards a tree that seemed to have streaks of blood running down it. My body seemed to freeze as I caught sight of just who the person was, and my breath seemed to catch in my throat._

 

_No…_

 

_Please..._ _no_ _…_

 

_“What’s the matter?” He chuckled. “Cat got your tongue?”_

 

_It took everything in me to not start to cry then and there as the shadow’s voice snapped me out of my trance._

 

_“You. son. of._ _a_ _._ _bitch_ _!” I screamed. “How could you_ _do_ _this?!”_

 

_He just laughed hysterically. “Oh, it was simple really. All I really did was throw him around like a ragdoll, flinging him into nearby objects such as trees, enjoying the sound of his pleas and him screaming out for someone to help him. Though, sadly for him,” He smirked. “No one was there to help him, and I watched as he suffered both physically and mentally.”_

 

_I started to shake as I let out a low, inhuman growl- though still loud enough for the shadow to hear._

 

_“_ _YoU’rE gOiNg To ReGrEt EvEr AnGeRiNg Me YoU bAsTaRd_ _.” I said in a low, demonic voice._

 

_He just laughed deviously. “Oh, I’d like to stay and fight, but I’ve somewhere I need to be. Good day, Mr. Cipher!”_

 

_“_ _NO!_ _” I shrieked as I quickly tried to engulf him in blue flames, but he disappeared into the night like a ghost before I could do so. I growled, frustrated that he had gotten away so quickly.  I then shook my head, remembering the situation and rushing over to the broken and bloodied boy. At closer sight, my legs seemed to give out, making me fall to my knees in front of him. Knowing that I was now alone, hot streaks ran down my face as I reached out for him._

 

_“Dipper? Dipper, please answer me,” begged, my voice cracking. “Please tell me you’re okay.”_

 

_His eyes opened, but only slightly as his face scrunched up painfully. He made no move to try and sit up, full well knowing he wouldn’t be able to. His eyes flicked over to my direction, and he let out a breathy laugh._

 

_“I should’ve listened to you after all, huh Bill?” He spoke, his voice hoarse and just above a whisper._

 

_“Please don’t blame yourself...Y-y-you didn’t know w...what I was trying to warn you of.”_

 

_He closed his eyes for a few seconds as tears slid slowly down his face. “I’m sorry,” His voice full of regret. “I should have listened to you...a-and I...didn’t. I’m so sorry…” He said as more tears ran down his face._

 

_“Y-you’re going to be okay...I-I promise.” I stuttered, breaths shaky and uneven as I controlled my sobs. He smiled slightly._

 

_“No... I’m not.” He whispered. “And you know it…” He shut his eyes as another wave of pain went through him, making him whimper noiselessly._

 

_“Please don’t say that,” I whispered. “I can try and-”_

 

_“You ca...can’t heal me.” He interrupted. “You…. you don’t have enough... magic. Not for this…”_

 

_I shook my head. “You don’t know how much magic I have... how powerful it is. You can’t possibly know.” He just smiled weakly._

 

_“I love you, Bill…” He whispered. “I’ll miss you...so much…” I swallowed anxiously._

 

_“Dipper... please,” I tried, voice cracking as I tried pleading with him, unable to control the tears. “I love you so much...Please don’t leave me... I... I need you…”_

 

_“You’ll be okay...I...promise.” He said closing his eyes. “Maybe we’ll meet again.”_

 

_A sob escaped my throat as I leaned down to kiss him one last time, and he grabbed my hand, smiling once more before he took one last breath._

 

_“I hope we will,” I whispered before I broke out into non stop sobbing, holding his now cold, lifeless body close to mine._

  
  
 

 _▲▲▲▲▲▲_ ▲

 

~Present Time~

 

I fell to my knees as I once again started to cry uncontrollably, laying the flowers I had gotten down in front of the tombstone, when I thought of that night for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past year.

 

Of all the people, why did it need to be him? He had yet to live out a long, happy filled life, only to have it cut short by a treacherous shadow demon. I laughed under my breath, tears still running down my face.

 

“You were always so stubborn...never really wanted to listen to anyone but you.” I grew quiet for a moment before speaking again. “I hope you like the flowers I brought for you...best flowers I found to be honest.”

 

Today was the 1 year anniversary of his death… the night I found him.

 

“I hope you know how much I miss you, Pine Tree. Can’t go even a day without thinking about you. You’re family misses you too, your sister, your Great Uncle Stan and Ford...they didn’t want to believe that they were you gone...The same could go for me as well, I guess.” I closed my eyes. “I still don’t want to believe that you’re gone. It feels like a dream. Heh, funny coming from a dream demon, huh? It’s true though. I still want to believe that you’re still here with us, having fun and enjoying our time together instead of being 6 feet under the ground.” I finished, saying the last few words bitterly.

 

I sighed as I looked at the cloudy sky that threatened to pour down unwanted rain. I smiled sadly at his grave.

 

“I still love you with all my heart, Dipper. If only there was a way to bring you back like nothing ever happened. This past year has been miserable without you, and I’m not really as happy as I want to be. But one thing for certain…” I paused for a minute. “I  don’t regret meeting you 13 years ago...and I...I  _definitely_ don’t regret falling in love and being with you through everything.”

 

“I promise you...I will try and find a way to see you again. No matter  _what_ it takes.” I breathed, tracing my fingers down the stoneand through the carvings in it.

 

_Dipper Pines_

_August 31st, 1999 - September 23rd, 2023_

_Beloved friend, brother, son, and nephew_

 

    I felt my chest pang painfully as I stood up, reluctantly getting ready to leave.

 

    “I promise to come and visit again soon, my precious Pine Tree.” I said quietly in melancholy.

  
    Want to know something? Turns out pain, whether it be psychological or physical...isn’t as hilarious as I thought it to be...


	10. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I thought I had a better idea for the last line or so for this but I forgot it along the way xD Hope you enjoy it anyhow! ~ <3

 Today is probably a whole week that I haven’t been able to sleep properly. I feel exhausted, yet I can’t seem to stay asleep without waking up from a nightmare every night; I haven’t figured out  _why_  I’ve been having these dreams, but if they keep going on…

 

    I don’t know how much longer I can make it if I can’t finally get a good night’s rest.

 

    It seems as if Mabel and Grunkle Stan are starting to take notice- they even asked if anything was going on. Not wanting to worry them, I told that that I was fine and that everything was okay. They didn’t seem to believe me, but they didn’t question me further when I told them- what with them knowing just how stubborn I can be at times.

 

    These dreams... I just don’t understand  _where_ they’re coming from or  _why_ I’m having them in the first place. They all seem to have something in common- me waking up in an unfamiliar place, with no escape of any kind as a shadowy figure shows itself- looming over me with an evil grin, with rows of sharp teeth, and glowing yellow eyes, laughing at my fear as it came closer, rendering me unable to move. I then would wake up- before supposedly being tortured or possibly killed- in a cold sweat, letting out a small cry of terror as I would then lay in bed awake for the rest of the night, too afraid to go back to sleep.

 

    I decided to stay in the attic for most of the day, sitting by the window as I struggled to keep my eyes open as I looked through one of the journals, partially out of boredom and partially to see if there was anything in it about my dreams. I sighed as I found nothing that would help me figure them out.

 

    ~

 

     _I opened my eyes to find that unfamiliar room once again, and gasped out of fear._

 

_“No!” I screamed. “I don’t want to be here...please! Please let me go!” Though my cries for help went unnoticed as the same shadowy figure appeared in front of me a few feet away, chuckling as it saw how nervous it made me._

 

_“Please, just leave me alone,” I whispered. “Just... just go away…”_

 

_It just grinned as it moved closer, blocking any means of escape as I sat in a corner, my knees pulled up to my chest as I felt myself shiver._

 

_It cackled as it suddenly jumped forward, making me duck my head and cry out. I suddenly felt it pick me up, smashing me to the wall painfully as it held me by my neck. It’s grip seemed to tighten the more time that went by. My attempts to escape its grip went in vain as I felt myself getting lightheaded. It looked at me with its demon-like glowing yellow eyes as it showed its rows of sharp teeth with a smirk._

 

_“I shall see you in the afterlife soon, Pines...Or should I say- Pine Tree.” It snickered as my vision darkened._

 

_“No!” I cried out weakly before everything went black suddenly…_

 

~

 

    “No!” I screamed out, eyes wide with sheer terror as I found myself shivering uncontrollably, arms wrapped around myself.

 

    “Pine Tree?” I heard someone say. I peeked towards the center of the room, and cried out as I suddenly fell off the window sill, hitting the floor with a ‘thump’ as I backed away into a corner, hugging my knees up to my chest again as I hid my face from the intruder.

 

    ‘ _No...no, please...not you...why won’t you leave me be?’_ I thought to myself, thinking back to the golden eyes I had seen only moments before.

 

    “Woah, woah, are you okay?” I looked up slightly only to see the face of a slightly concerned Bill Cipher. “It’s just me, no need to freak out. And why should I leave you alone? Did something happen?”

 

    I blinked wearily, confused as to what he was talking about.

 

    “What are you talking about?”

 

    He rolled his eyes a little as he crossed his arms. “I  _can_  read minds, remember? Now what’s going on? Why are you so jumpy all of a sudden?”

 

    I thought about the last moments of my dream, and glared as I looked at him.

 

    “As if you don’t know.” I answered with a scowl. He gave a look of sudden confusion.

 

    “What’s that supposed to mean? I haven’t done anything.” I scoffed as I stood up, crossing my arms.

 

    “You sure about that?” I asked in an accusing tone, making him blink in surprise before he answered in a slightly angered tone.

 

    “What’s  _your_ problem? And what’s with the attitude there, Pine Tree? Why would I lie to you about anything?”

 

    “Have you been giving anyone nightmares lately?” I asked.

 

    “No.” He said with annoyance. “I’ve already told you, I haven’t been doing anything besides hanging around in the mindscape and traveling through different dimensions like I always do when I’m bored.”

 

“What about the dreams  _I’ve_ been having then?” I blurted out without thinking, gasping as I realized what I’d said as I covered my mouth, making him look more confused than ever.

 

“What are you…” He said before realization set in his tone and he walked over to me. “Have... you been having nightmares?”

 

I rolled my eyes and laughed with slight sarcasm. “Aren’t you supposed to know about these things? Especially if you’re the cause of them?”

 

He sighed with frustration before answering. “Kid, I haven’t been causing anyone nightmares. I only do that if I’m told to do so when I make deals with people. I haven’t made any deals for a while now.”

 

“No one else calls me Pine Tree except for  _you_ , nor do they have yellow eyes or sharp teeth.” He growled slightly as his eyes glowed a little.

 

“Okay, first of all, my eyes are  _gold_. And second, my teeth aren’t that sharp, so I would appreciate if you wouldn’t accuse me of something I wouldn’t ever do to you. Why would I give my own boyfriend nightmares? What the hell kind of person do you think I am?” He said, clearly upset of the accusations. I found myself blushing slightly at the mention of ‘boyfriend’, but I shook it off, sighing as I closed my eyes.

 

“You’re right, I... I’m sorry…” I said quietly. “I shouldn’t have... I-It’s just…” I opened my eyes to see him looking at me with that same concern that had shown when he first arrived here.

 

“I haven’t able to sleep that well this past week because I... keep having the same dream, with the same dark figure taunting me as it moved close to me, making sure I couldn’t get away…”

 

“Why did you think I would give you a nightmare like that?” He asked gently. “Let alone give you  _any_ kind of nightmare?”

 

“Well... it had ye-, erm, glowing eyes that kind of resembled yours, and,” I paused, exhaustion making it’s way back to me again. “It called me Pine Tree... It sounded like you, but... it was a shadowed figure instead of you... And I guess... I guess the first person that popped into my mind was... you... And I’m sorry…” I responded somewhat hoarsely, whispering the last few words.

 

I felt him put his hand on my shoulder, making me look up at him (with me only being a few inches shorter), with a small smile on his face.

 

“I may be a dream demon, but I don’t think I could ever give you a dream so terrifying that you couldn’t sleep properly for a week.”

 

“I’m sorry I accused you, though. I should have asked first instead of blaming you as soon as you got here.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, okay? Look,” He lowered his voice. “Maybe I can try and help you? I don’t know how, but I could probably figure out something.”

 

I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him, making him stumble a little as he most likely wasn’t expecting it.

 

“Thank you, Bill.” I mumbled happily, making him laugh a little as I felt him hug me back, resting his chin on top of me.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” He brushed it off. “If it helps, I’ll stay the night to see what exactly is going on in your dreams to see if I can stop it.”

 

I backed away slowly, giving him a look of nervousness. “So... I’ll need to go back to sleep to that... that nightmare?”

 

He sighed a little as he tried giving a reassuring smile. “I know you don’t want to, but that’s really the only way I can help you. It’ll be okay, I promise.”

 

“What, you’re going to stop that... whatever it is, from attacking me?” I questioned. He nodded.

 

“I’ll try to. I need to see what it is exactly to be able to help.” I bit my lip, sucking in a breath as I nodded slowly.

 

“Okay.” I breathed, already not looking forward to this. He wrapped his arms around me gently, tilting my head up with his hand.

 

“You’ll be fine. Trust me.” He said as he carefully placed a kiss to my forehead, making me blush again slightly. “Now how about we go to your room? Might be safer to sleep in your bed than on the window sill, don’t you think?” He said with a smirk.

 

“Shut up.” I muttered before grabbing his hand and dragging him to my room, with him laughing.

 

~

 

_I woke up in the same place as I usually would. To prepare myself, I huddled up in a corner, hugging my knees to my chest again and rocking slightly to try and calm myself. I breathed out shakily as I felt its presence in the air, lurking, as if purposely trying to scare me before even getting here._

 

_“We meet again…” I heard, making me look up from my position slightly as fear and anxiety made its way into me, making me regret ever doing so. I felt myself start to shake as it moved closer, watching me carefully with an evil grin. I clenched my teeth, trying to will myself to possibly wake up from this nightmare, but to no avail._

 

_“I sense another presence,” He said darkly before chuckling. “Have you brought a friend with you this time?” I then remembered, and smiled weakly._

 

_“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” I said, feeling a little brave, though my voice was a little shaky. It got even closer, in my face even._

 

_“Oh? Feeling brave are we?” It taunted. I kept a straight face- even though I was screaming on the inside and terrified out of my mind at the close proximity._

 

_“Would you mind sharing just who they are, by any chance?” It asked sweetly. I only smirked._

 

_“Wouldn’t_ **_you_ ** _like to know?” It moved back slightly, somewhat surprised at the outburst before laughing lowly, quickly moving back over and wrapping a hand around my torso, lifting me up before smashing me against the wall, making me wince as I yelped in sudden shock and pain._

 

_“You tell me who it is,” It growled. “Or I end you here and now, making sure of you never seeing the light of day again.”_

 

_“It’s a... close... friend of mine.” I said breathlessly, the shadow practically holding me in a crushing grip. It glared, tightening its hold a little, making me gasp as I tried to free myself, the fear involuntarily making its way back to me. “Now let... me... go…” I gasped, desperately trying to free myself from the sudden bone-crushing pain._

 

_“Who is this... ‘close friend’, of yours?” It asked curiously. “Hmm?” I shook my head furiously as tears threatened to spill._

 

_“Wouldn’t_ **_you_ ** _like to know?” Someone asked, mocking my tone from earlier. The shadow, surprised, turned around quickly, and I felt a little more hopeful at the sight of him, regardless of the fact it still had me in its grip. As soon as the shadow saw who the voice belonged to, it laughed darkly as it moved closer to Bill._

 

_“Well, well, Cipher- didn’t expect to see you here. What a delight this is, seeing you again after so long.”_

 

_Bill narrowed his eyes in disgust at the creature. “Who else did you expect? The devil himself?” He answered sarcastically. “Now I suggest you let him go... unless you’d like to be sent to another dimension once more, never to be heard from again.” He threatened. The shadow figure just laughed, and again tightened its hold on me, making me cry out._

 

_“He... elp…” I wheezed. I looked at Bill pleadingly, feeling myself weaken as my vision darkened slightly. Although on the verge of losing consciousness, I saw as Bill’s eyes turned red, the tone of his voice darkening as he spoke._

 

_“I said,” He moved closer. “_ **_To LeT...hIm...Go…_ ** _” He hissed. “_ **_Or ElSe._ ** _” The shadow demon just grinned._

 

_“Somebody sounds a little mad... am I right?” He said derisively. “He’s just a pathetic, little human. Why are you so intent on saving him?”_

 

_“I warned you.” He sneered. Snapping his fingers, I felt myself disappear from the shadow’s grip, and end up behind Bill as he stood in front of me protectively, the shadow now expressing a look of surprise. “_ **_I wArNeD yOu WhAt wOuLd hApPeN iF yOu DiDn’T LiStEn._ ** _”_

 

_Bill then starting reciting a spell in Latin as his hands lit up with ferocious blue flames._

 

_“Umbram tuam qui exterreat_

_Amodo usque in saeculum tu exilium_

_Numquam perturbare tui in placidos facientia somnos iterum!_

_Valeant! Valeant! Valeant!”_

 

_He then threw his hands towards the shadow on the last word, the fire engulfing it, trapping it with no means of escape as it slowly seemed to disappear from sight within a couple minutes. As soon as the shadow was gone, Bill turned to face me, his eyes returning to their normal golden color as he smiled softly._

 

_“Thank you…” I said with a small smile. “What exactly was that spell, anyways?” I asked, curious. “What did it do to that shadow figure? Where’d it go?”_

 

_“It banished him to a place where he can never escape to torture people and give them nightmares. Which means,” He said with a knowing smile. “You’re safer now.”_

 

_Without warning, he snapped his fingers again, and I found myself waking up._

 

~

 

When I woke up, I noticed Bill beside me, also waking up after a few more minutes.

 

“Why did you take longer to wake up?” I questioned, curiously wondering if he was still in my mind when he was asleep.

 

“Because after I woke you up, I decided to use a spell to make sure you wouldn’t have any more nightmares from any other demons.”I smiled, then noticed how late it still was as the room was still dark. With the realization, I felt weary as I yawned, stretching a little.

 

“What time is it?” I asked tiredly.

 

“About... 3 in the morning.” Bill answered, chuckling under his breath. I rolled my eyes, sighing.

 

“Well then I’m going back to sleep.” I muttered, cuddling up to him as I laid my head on his chest comfortably. “You’re staying so I can use you as a pillow, got it?” He laughed a little before pulling me close in a hug, covering the both of us with my blanket.

 

“Yessir, Pine Tree sir- Will do.” He teased lightly. My face warmed up slightly as I closed my eyes.

 

“I love you.” I whispered. I’m guessing he was smiling judging by the tone of his voice.

 

“ _Te amo nimium, Dipper,_ ” He murmured. I felt myself smile, knowing what he said from some of his Latin lessons.

  
As if he knew without me telling him, he started to hum softly, slowly lulling me to sleep within minutes.


	11. New Year's Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this one is okay! Enjoy ^^

“Come on~” Mabel practically whined as I helped set up the shop. “When are you gonna tell him? You gotta tell him soon, Dip!” Her eyes then beamed as she grinned widely. “How about on New Years? O-M-G that would be perfect!” She squealed excitedly.

 

    “Mabel, I can’t just-”

 

    “It’s almost New Years anyhow. That would be so ro _mantic_.” She smiled, sounding all lovey-dovey.

 

    “Mabel I can’t!” I exclaimed quickly, in case she tried talking again. “I just... I can’t…” I sighed. “I-I wouldn’t be able to.”

 

She grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face her, surprising me and making me gasp lightly. She had a stubborn look on her face as she spoke.

 

“ _You_ are  _going_ to tell Bill that you like him whether you  _want to or not_.” I felt myself blush as I closed my eyes for a few seconds. I shook my head.

 

“I-”

 

“Unless,” She interrupted, a sly grin slowly spreading. “Unless you want  _me_ to tell him for you, which I  _reallyyy_ don’t think you’d want me to, I suggest  _you_ tell him- and the sooner, the better.” She released her grip on my shoulders, smile still on her face. “Trust me on this, Dipper.”

 

I let out a breath as I made a slightly annoyed sound. “ _Okay!_ Okay... I’ll tell him... I-I guess…It’s just... so soon~” I complained.

 

“Great! Can’t wait ‘til you do. And relax! It’ll be fine; Like I said, trust me.” She said with a smile before turning and walking away. I rolled my eyes, sighing as I continued helping Grunkle Stan.

 

▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

 

    “You ready for tonight bro-bro?” Mabel asked with a smile, almost jumping up and down with excitement. “I know  _I_ am! New Year means a fresh start for everyone, and new resolutions!”

 

    I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. “Tonight, er... I... I guess... I am? To be honest I’m really nervous. I mean, what if he just laughs it off? O-or doesn’t feel the same way? Or what if-” Mabel put her hand over my mouth, making me stop babbling- which for me is another nervous habit of mine.

 

    “Don’t get so worked up about this, alright?” She said sternly, taking her hand away. “If he doesn’t feel the same way, at least you’ll still be friends.”

 

    “But... what if we won’t be?” I asked anxiously, my voice getting quiet near the end. “Mabel, this isn’t just some normal person. Bill is a  _demon_ ,” I stressed. “I feel like I  _should_ feel at least a little nervous about his reaction to this…”

 

    “You’ll never know how he feels until you tell him,” She said with a knowing grin. “He may be a demon, but he has feelings too, silly. Have you invited him to come here?” She asked curiously. I nodded slowly, biting my lip slightly.

 

    “I did, yeah. He was a little surprised that he was invited, but he said he’d be glad to celebrate with us. He didn’t say what time he’d come over though.”

 

    “Well, hopefully it’s soon!” She exclaimed. “It’s already almost ten thirty. Wouldn’t want him to miss out!” She said before running off somewhere- probably to her friends. I shook my head as a small smile appeared on my face.

 

    Welp, time to lock myself in my room as I wait for Bill to arrive.

 

~

 

    To pass the time, I just laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling for I don’t know how long.

 

    The time, as I checked my phone, was 11:30.

 

    I was about to wonder where and when Bill would show up until I got a knock on my door. I sat up to see that it was, indeed, Bill himself- a grin on his face. Subconsciously, I felt myself smile a little as his voice rang through the room.

 

    “Hiya Pine Tree!” He said happily, walking towards me. “Happy New Year’s Eve!” He finished with a chuckle.

 

    “Hey, Bill. Glad you could make it.” I said, my smile growing a little.

 

    “What kind of greeting is that?” He asked before pulling me off the bed, a surprised gasp escaping me as he hugged me to him for a few seconds, my cheeks growing warm. He raised an eyebrow before laughing at the expression on my face.

 

    “Any reason you’re starting to blush, Dipper?” I shook my head a little too quickly before answering.

 

    “N-no,” I stuttered, mentally slapping myself as I did. “You just... surprised me is all.”

 

     _Way to go Dipper. He’s surely going to believe you if you stutter like that._

 

“Yeah, sure~” He said sarcastically. “It’s  _definitely_ because I surprised you.” I glared slightly, making him smirk.

 

    “You don’t know how I feel,” I mumbled, crossing my arms.

 

    “Actually I do!” He exclaimed, still smiling.

 

    “And how is that?” I asked somewhat skeptically. “Are you reading my mind?”

 

    He shook his head. “I would tell you if I was. Besides mind reading, I can  _sense_ how people feel as well. And I can sense that you’re feeling nervous about something.”

 

    “I’m not nervous.” I shot at him. “I’m fine. What would I have to be nervous about?”

 

    “Not sure. How ‘bout you tell me?” He said, crossing his arms.

 

    “I’m fine!” I answered, frustrated. I checked the time again.  _11:35_. I gulped, averting my gaze to hide the look of anxiety on my face. Though, out of the corner of my eye, I could see him rolling his eyes as he huffed.

 

    “No you’re not.” He stated plainly. “You’re nervous about something, and I would like to know what it is if you  _don’t_ want me reading your mind to find out.”

 

    I closed my eyes, sucking in a breath as I swallowed down the nervous feeling that seemed to be growing before opening them again.

 

    “Okay fine... you want to know why I’m feeling like this?” I finally said, in a slightly shaky voice nonetheless.

 

    “That’s what I’ve been  _trying_ to ask you.” He said, a little annoyed.

 

    “Right, well…”

 

     _11:44_

 

“The thing is Bill, I…” I stopped, my heart beating faster each minute.

 

     _11:46_

 

He waited, though impatiently as he leaned on his cane.

 

    “I…”

 

     _‘Just tell him already!’_ My mind screamed at me. I thought about what Mabel had told me earlier, closing my eyes before sighing and blurting it out.

 

    “I love you, alright? There... happy now?” My face burned as I immediately wanted to take the words back, feeling scared now more than ever.

 

    I bit the inside of my cheek as I waited for a response.

 

    Nothing.

 

    Opening my eyes, I saw that his eyes had widened slightly, his mouth open in shock.

 

     _11:50_

 

“Oh…” I heard him whisper, his face now slightly flushed. I chuckled nervously under my breath, though I’m sure he heard.

 

    “Are... are you... okay, Bill?” I finally asked after what seemed like forever. At the sound of my voice, he seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in before looking at me.

 

    “Y... yeah. I’m okay. I’m just…” He paused. “Still trying to process what you just said. Did... you really say what I think you said?” He said slowly.

 

    Gathering some courage, I walked closer to him with a shy smile.

 

    “Yeah. I really said it.” The surprise was still on his face, though it seems to have lessened.

 

    “Wow…” He breathed. “Kid, I…” He paused again before his gaze softened, smiling slightly. “No one’s ever said that to me before, and for you of all people to say it, I just…”

 

    I looked at him expectantly, feeling a little more hopeful.

 

_11:57_

 

“Do you really mean that, Dipper?” He asked in a soft tone. I nodded.

 

    “I wouldn’t say something like that if I didn’t mean it.” I said with a small smile. “Yes, I do love you. I’m not sure if you feel the same way, but I thought I... I should tell you…y’know…”

 

    Before either of us could answer, I felt my phone go off, and I jumped, not expecting it.

 

     _Mabel: Almost midnight, Dip Dop! Better make a move before I come up there and make you! ;3 ^-^_

 

 

    I chuckled before quickly texting her back.

 

    

     _Dipper: I’ve got it covered, no need to come in my room! o-o_

 

Not a minute later, I got an answer.

 

     _Mabel: Alrighty!_

 

_Mabel: Go Dipper! ^.^ You got this!_

 

Turning my phone’s sound off and putting it away, I looked back to Bill, who looked amused.

 

    “Who were you texting?” He asked curiously.

 

    “Oh, just Mabel. She just wanted to remind me that it’s almost New Year’s.”

 

    He smiled slyly. “Any reason she’d tell you?” I just laughed nervously.

 

    “Who knows with her.” I stated, trying to shrug it off. “Not like I wouldn’t know anyways.”

 

     _11:59_

 

“Well, I think I know why.” He said, pulling me closer as he smirked. “Isn’t there a traditional thing you do once it hits midnight? A... New Year’s kiss, maybe?”

 

    “M-maybe,” I stuttered, face growing hotter when he pulled me close to him. “But I-I’ve ne-never had anyone t-to...kiss, like... ever so I don’t-”

 

    “Is that so?” He said with a smile. “I don’t understand why.”

 

     _10... 9..._

 

    I looked down. “Probably because no one would ever want to, let alone  _be_ with me. I mean, who  _would_ want to?” I said, voice growing more and more quiet.

 

     _8... 7..._

 

    I felt him cup my face gently as he tilted my head up to look at him again. He had a look in his eyes, though I couldn’t figure out what it was as he chuckled quietly.

 

     _6... 5..._

 

    “Maybe I would want to…” He breathed.

 

     _4... 3..._

 

    “W... what…” I whispered in surprise before he brushed his lips against mine just barely.

 

     _2…... 1……_

 

I gasped quietly as he finally pressed his lips to mine firmly but gently. I felt myself shiver at the sudden feeling, and deciding that I liked- no,  _loved_ it, before wrapping my arms around his neck. I felt him smile in the kiss as his arms went to my waist.

 

    After a few more seconds, he pulled away just barely, in a lingering kiss as we panted quietly, faces now flushed as his breaths involuntarily sent more shivers down my spine.

 

    “Happy New Year Dipper,” He said quietly, now grinning. I laughed a little.

  
    “Happy New Year, Bill…”


	12. Helping Pine Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't think of a better title but yolo xD Anyways, hope you enjoy!~<3 P.S. There's Latin in this oneshot so I decided to put the translations at the end for you guys ^^;

As soon as the final bell rang for the day, I hurried to grab my bag and whatever else I thought I would need to take with me, and was practically the first out of the classroom door as I decided to speed walk down the hall to the front doors of the school. I avoided any eye contact as I pushed through the main entrance and turned to the direction of the woods- my usual route back to the shack. It might’ve taken longer, but I didn’t want to chance being seen again by anyone.

 

Now feeling safer, I felt it would be okay to look back up, seeing as how no one was around to see the bruise shadowing my right eye. I gently placed my fingers against it, wincing when I still felt some of the pain from earlier. I took in a shaky breath as I tried focusing on only getting back home.

 

After a little while, the shack came into view, and I smiled only slightly as I continued my walk. As I got closer though, my smile faded and I looked down when I reached the front door, letting my bangs fall in my face a little in an attempt to hide the bruise as I walked in. I quickly made my way upstairs to my room and closed the door behind me, setting my backpack and books on the floor before walking over to my bed and flopping onto it, sighing as I closed my eyes.

 

I jumped when I heard quiet knocking on the door, suddenly feeling anxious before calming down, realizing the knock and who it was. “Come in,” I called out quietly, sitting up so I could lean against the wall, hugging my knees to my chest as I let my hat hide my face.

 

I heard the door open slowly, and heard a sigh before footsteps made their way towards my bed. I felt my bed move slightly as they sat down on the edge before moving closer to me.

 

“You okay, bro bro?” I heard Mabel ask gently.

 

“‘M fine Mabel, don’t worry.” I mumbled. I felt her put an arm around my shoulder, pulling me a little closer. I swallowed the lump in my throat as tears threatened to spill- though I wouldn’t let them.

 

“You don’t have to be,” She murmured. I stayed silent, fearful that if I tried to talk then I would start to cry.

 

“I’m  _fine_ ,” I spoke, voice cracking. “I’m fine…”

 

“Dip, could you look me in the eyes and say that you’re really okay?” She said sternly, though she remained gentle.

 

….

 

“Please?” She asked quietly. “I want to try and help you, but I can’t if you won’t let me.” Lip trembling slightly, I reluctantly lifted my head to look at her, brown eyes filled with concern and sadness.

 

“Dipper,” She voiced, nearing a whisper as tears brimmed in her eyes. “Why don’t you tell someone?” I sneered, laughing under my breath before shaking my head.

 

“I have,” I answered in a revulsive tone. “I’ve went to the office and explained to them what was going on. They said they would talk to them about it, and get back to me. They never did- so I’m left to assume they didn’t even do a  _goddamn_ thing and just brushed it off.” Without warning, I felt warm streaks down my face and I started to shake. “That school doesn’t care about its students- they never have, so why would I be any different?”

 

“There... there has to be  _something_ we can do.” Mabel pleaded. “You’re my brother, you-” She let out a small cry before hiccuping slightly. “You’re my brother... I-I don’t want to see you like this.” She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight, and I gasped lightly in surprise. “I don’t like seeing you hurt.”

 

I smiled sadly before hugging her back. “I know... I-I’m sorry…”

 

She pulled away with a look of anger. “No. Dipper, you have nothing to be sorry for. It’s them idiots at school who think they have nothing better to do than to bully someone just for kicks. They need to learn that it’s not okay to pick on my brother.”

 

I looked away as I felt empty. “Mabel, please don’t do anything that would get you hurt. That’s the last thing I want to happen. Just... trust me, okay? I’ll be fine... they’re... they’re just a few bruises... they’ll go away eventually.” I tried to assure her.

 

“They’re  _hurting_ you. I can’t just let that go.” She said stubbornly. “Does anyone else know besides me? Have you even told Bill?” I opted to stay silent again, and just shook my head. She huffed out of frustration.

 

“Dipper! He’s your  _boyfriend_  for crying out loud, don’t you think he should know?”

 

“I don’t want to worry him with stupid stuff like this Mabel,” I said, annoyance clear in my tone. “It’s not that bad. I told you, it’s-”

 

“No!” She cut me off quickly, glaring while crossing her arms. “Stop telling me that you’re fine when you’re clearly not. I have a right to be concerned about you, and Bill should know what’s going on with you. You can’t tell me it’s  _nothing_ when you’re coming home almost every single day with some kind of injury. This _needs_ to stop.  _Now_. Either you tell Bill that you’re being bullied, or I’ll do it. Your choice.”

 

I grabbed at my hair frustratingly, groaning. “Fine! Fine, if you really want me to, I’ll tell him. Just,” I sighed, running my hand down my face. “Please. Don’t... tell him yourself, okay? He’d probably get upset if he didn’t hear it from me. Give me time to relax first.” She nodded curtly before heading towards the door, but pausing before leaving.

 

“Please don’t wait too long,” She said quietly, a sad look on her face. “I don’t want to lose you.”

 

I forced a small smile onto my face as I answered. “You won’t lose me Mabel... I promise to tell him.” She smiled a little before turning to leave, closing the door on her way out.

 

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼▲▼

 

“Hey look who it is!” I heard a familiar voice ring through the hallways. I gasped, my eyes growing wide at the trio walking towards me with sly grins plastered on their faces. I slowly started to back away, which in hindsight didn’t help, as I felt my back press against lockers. I gulped, chuckling nervously.

 

“If it isn’t the little freak himself! How’s it going for ya, Pines?”

 

“Wow, just  _look_ at that bruise. Amazing, isn’t it?” Another taunted, smirking.

 

“P-pl--please d-don’t,” I pleaded, shivering in immense fear.

 

 _‘Damn stutter will be the end of me,’_ I thought to myself.

 

They all just laughed, as if a funny joke had been told. “You’re funny Pines. Really, you are.”

 

“You  _seriously_ think we’re just gonna let you walk on by? What do you think we are, stupid?”

 

I shook my head rapidly, heart thumping erratically against my chest. “N-n-no, I-I-”

 

“What’s wrong? S-st-stutter getting in the way?” They teased. “Don’t worry, we won’t take long.”

 

I closed my eyes, preparing myself for what I knew would happen. I felt myself being slammed into the lockers painfully, and I bit the inside of my cheek as I held back a scream, a small whimper making its way past my lips instead as my head started to throb in the form of a headache.

 

I felt a fist connect with my face, and this time I cried out as I heard a crack, my nose now starting to bleed.

 

_Great... broken nose…_

 

I felt myself being shoved to the ground, and I felt a jabbing pain as there were harsh kicks on my sides and ribs, and I weakly turned and tried to protect myself as much as possible in a fetal position.

 

After what seemed like hours, though was most likely minutes, the kicking stopped, and I heard laughing before their footsteps walking away from me, eventually fading away as I lay on the ground.

 

I took in a shaky breath, deciding to just stay in the same position for a few more minutes before trying to get up.

 

_Everything hurts…_

 

Eventually, I forced myself to stand, pain shooting through my leg, making me yelp as I leaned on the wall for support.

 

_Ankle throbbing…_

 

Taking in a shaky breath, I slowly- and by slow I mean limping slightly- towards the exit and out the front doors. I turned to, once again, go on my normal route back to the shack, though it would take longer than expected.

 

With it being the middle of November, it got dark out at around maybe 5 or 5:30. As I looked up at the sky, I noticed that it was already starting to darken. I checked my phone.

 

_5:45_

 

I sighed, and tried to quicken my pace, which turned to be slightly impossible with the pain in my ankle slowing me down immensely. Not even a minute later, my phone went off, and I checked to see that it was Mabel. Swallowing down my nervousness, I pressed answer, and was met with Mabel yelling in my ear.

 

_“Dipper, where are you? What’s taking so long? Is everything okay?”_

 

“Mabel calm down. Everything’s fine, I’m fine. I just... decided to take a different path, which is why it’s taking me longer to get back.” I answered, voice still a little shaky.

 

 _“They... Dipper, they hurt you again... didn’t they? Oh my god,”_ She went off, panic and worry evident in her voice.

 

“Mabel, I’m fine okay? I’m almost home anyways. What’s wrong with me taking longer to get back?”

 

I heard her huff out of frustration.  _“You never take this long. It’s almost 6! School let out hours ago- you should have been back by now.”_

 

I rolled my eyes, though she couldn’t see, and winced. “Well I’m almost back. I just... needed to take a long walk is all.”

 

 _“Are you going to tell him?”_ She asked again, which made me groan slightly.

 

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get to it, alright?” I snapped, then felt a little guilty for doing so.

 

 _“Really? When, Dipper?”_ She asked, voice cracking a little, making me feel even worse.  _“You know what... Dip, I’m sorry.”_

 

Confusion went through me. “Sorry? Mabel, what are you…” I stopped when I realized, and my eyes widened. “No! Mabel, please don’t, I said I was going to tell him eventually. Please-”

 

 _“Eventually isn’t good enough. I’m sorry, but you need the help now before something worse happens to you. I’m_ _not_ _losing you. I’ll see you at the shack.”_ She said before hanging up.

 

“No…” I whispered. He’s going to be so mad…

 

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my head and ankle, I ran as fast as I could, adrenaline pushing me to go faster than normal. Within a few minutes, the shack was in sight. I slowed my pace back down to just limping as I tried catching my breath.

 

_Pleasedontlethimbeherepleasedontpleasegoddont_

 

Though my hope was in vain, for as soon as I walked through the door- there he was. I felt myself freeze, mostly out of fear of what his reaction would be to me not telling him. He looked angry yet upset at the same time. He walked over and grabbed my arm, and before I knew it, we were in my room.

 

I quickly turned away from him, panic setting in once again.

 

“Dipper. Turn around and look at me.” I couldn’t force myself to move my feet.

 

“Turn around. And  _look_ at me.  _Now_ , Dipper.” He said lowly, anger evident in his tone. Fearful, I forced myself to turn around, though slowly, and look at him. He walked closer to me, his expression softening, eyes shining as if he were about to cry.

 

“B-Bill-” I choked out, guilt growing at the look on his face. “I...I-”

 

“ _Why_ didn’t you tell me earlier? Why?” He asked, upset. “Did you seriously think that this wasn’t a big deal?”

 

I bit my lip nervously. “I didn’t want to worry you…”

 

He let out a small laugh. “Y-you didn’t... want to  _worry_ me?” He let out another laugh. “Are you kidding me right now Pine Tree?” He asked in a somewhat sarcastic tone. I winced slightly, averting my gaze.

 

“When in the  _hell_ did you decide that it was okay to not tell me about things like this?”

 

Silence.

 

He rolled his eyes before sighing. Before I knew it, his arms were wrapped around me firmly but gently as to not hurt me. I gasped quietly.

 

“You can be such an  _idiot_  sometimes, kid. Deus meus…” He murmured, his voice cracking a little as he slipped into speaking Latin, which usually happened when he was overcome with emotion. I took a deep breath, tears rolling down my face silently.

 

“Me admodum paenitet…” I said slowly, making sure I was speaking correctly. “I should have told you sooner…”

 

“Tu tantum te amo ... tantum mihi…” He whispered.

 

“Paenitet te amo nimium, Bill…” He pulled away, a small smile on his face, though I could see tears in his eyes, which made me feel guilty again.

 

“Damn right you should have told me sooner.” He said quietly, using his thumb to wipe away the tears on my cheeks. “And I get that you feel guilty, but you really don’t need to.”

 

“Look at me now though,” I whimpered. “This wouldn’t have happened if I’d have told you. I’m sorry... I…”

 

“Dipper, hey,” He breathed, quieting me. “Suus 'Licuit... Bene est…” He pressed his forehead against mine as his arms wrapped around me. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m here now, so I can help you now, okay?” I nodded solemnly.

 

“Okay…”

 

“Here,” he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Let me help you to your bed, and then I can heal you. Sound good?” He laid me down, and I grimaced as my head pounded. I opened my eyes to look at Bill, who now was sitting on the edge of my bed, and smiled empathetically.

 

“Can you show me what hurts?”

 

“O-okay, but... doesn’t healing use up your energy? Y’know, make you feel tired?”

 

He chuckled a little. “Well, yeah, but do I look like someone who cares? I’m helping my Pine Tree feel better so he’s not in pain.”

 

“R-right.” I stuttered, face flushing slightly before remembering his question from earlier. “M-my head, and ankle.”

 

He chuckled under his breath. “Okay. Hold still.” He said softly before placing his hands carefully near the back of my head, closing his eyes before a warm, tingly feeling was left. I then watched as he moved his hands to my ankle, already knowing which one was hurt without me telling him. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing slightly (as were his fingers), and he looked over to me.

 

“What about your nose? It looks broken. And the bruising around your eye.” He said, raising an eyebrow. He blinked, looking as though a wave of exhaustion went over him before he shook his head.

 

“Bill, you’ve done enough already. You’re tired-”

 

“And you’re hurt.” He interrupted, a stubborn look on his face. “If you’re gonna be with me, you’re going to have to expect me to coddle you if you’re sick or hurt, kid.” He smiled slightly. “Hold still again, okay?” I sighed and rolled my eyes before nodding, a small smile on my face.

 

His fingers glowed a light blue, and I closed my eyes as he carefully placed them over my nose and the right side of my face. My face felt warm for about a minute or so before he lifted his hands away, once again leaving a tingling feeling as I opened my eyes.

 

“How do you feel now? Feel any better?” He asked gently. I nodded.

 

“Yeah... thanks Bill…” I said quietly, sitting up. He smiled.

 

“Anytime, kid. Your injuries might still hurt a bit, but not as much as before. And the bruising doesn’t look as bad anymore either.”

 

“Well, thanks again.” I said with a smile.

 

“Do you need anything else?” He asked softly. “‘Cause if not, I can  _g_ …” He started to say before I cupped his face in my hands, silencing him as I pressed my lips to his in a feather-light kiss. He gasped almost silently before returning the gesture. I felt myself press against the wall, face warming as he carefully laced his fingers in mine and held them to the wall. He pulled away just barely, eyes barely open as he smirked lazily.

 

“I take it you want me to stay?” He breathed, making me nod quickly.

 

“Etiam velit. Placere manere…” I whispered, knowing speaking his native language would get to him. He groaned almost inaudibly as he pressed his lips to mine needily, making me wrap my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. As he pulled away, he bit down on my lower lip gently, making me gasp before he went to my neck. I shivered, a small moan escaping my lips as he bit down on a sensitive spot.

 

“B-Bill,” I breathed, my hands grabbing his hair, loving how soft it actually was.

 

He smirked before returning his lips to mine, this time letting it linger for a while it seemed.

 

“Tantum te amo, mi carissime pinum...” He whispered, his lips on my ear. I closed my eyes, breathing out shakily as my arms went to his back before I placed my forehead to his again, smiling.

 

“Te amo etiam daemon somnium…” I said softly, making him smile in return.

 

“I’ll help you figure out a way to stop those people from hurting you anymore. I promise.” I nodded slightly.

 

“Okay,” I said before laying down, pulling Bill under the covers with me, making him laugh a little.

 

“Goodnight, Bill.” I whispered, holding him close as my eyes fluttered shut.

  
“Dulcis somnia, Dipper…” I heard him say before I drifted into unconsciousness.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Deus meus…- My God  
> Me admodum paenitet…- I am so sorry  
> Tu tantum te amo ... tantum mihi…- I love you so much...you mean so much to me  
> Paenitet te amo nimium, Bill…- I'm so sorry...I love you too, Bill  
> Suus 'Licuit... Bene est…- It's alright... It's okay...  
> Etiam velit. Placere manere…- Yes, please. Please stay...  
> Tantum te amo, mi carissime pinum...- I love you so much, my dear Pine Tree  
> Te amo etiam daemon somnium…- I love you too, my dream demon  
> Dulcis somnia, Dipper…- Sweet dreams, Dipper


	13. Sing Me A Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song that Bill sings for Dipper will be at the end ^^ Enjoy! ~<3

I get the feeling that something is going on with Pine Tree, mainly because of the fact that he hasn’t summoned me for quite a few days now, and usually he brings me to the shack pretty much every day (or every other day) if he needs something or just wants to relax and cuddle- have someone to talk to if he’s bored.

 

    I sighed before opening my eyes to my mindscape, which is usually where I’m found unless someone needs me, though it can get pretty boring- and lonely with nobody to talk to. No longer wanting to wait on Dipper to summon me, I instead teleported myself there to see if something was wrong.

 

    When I appeared in his room, he was in his bed, though was facing the wall. I knew he wasn’t sleeping- I would be able to tell.

 

    “Kid?” I called out carefully, seeing if he would turn around knowing I was now here.

 

    He seemed to acknowledge my presence, but still didn’t seem to want to move. I walked over to him slowly. “Hey- what’s the matter?”

 

He mumbled out something along the lines of ‘I’m fine’ and ‘Just want to be alone’. I rolled my eyes.

 

“Can you turn around and tell me that? Because I know you, and I know you’re not fine.”

 

I heard a quiet scoff before he turned around, sitting up slightly. As I saw his face, concern filled my mind. It seemed as though the rings under his eyes were darker than usual- as if he hadn’t been getting enough sleep, and they were slightly red. Had he been crying?

 

“Then why would you want me to tell you if you already know?” He asked, his tone making me wince a little. His voice seemed to match the tiredness that showed in his eyes, being a little hoarse.

 

“I’m worried about you. Is something going on?” I asked gently. He laughed under his breath.

 

“What makes you think that?”

 

“Well, you seem like you’re exhausted for one. Besides, I can sense how you’re feeling, and you haven’t been feeling happy.” I stated, resting my elbows on his bed.

 

“Well I’m fine, alright?” He snapped before feigning a smile. “I-I mean... No need to worry about me.”

 

“I have every right to be worried,” I said stubbornly. “Isn’t that my main job as your boyfriend? I  _want_ you to be happy, not sad.” I pulled his face closer to mine, making him gasp a little in surprise. “Now what’s wrong?  _Tell me_ ~” I whined, making him push me away slightly and cross his arms.

 

“Bill, I’m fine. Really.”

 

I crawled onto his bed, sitting across from him and copying his posture as I also crossed my arms with a slight glare. “I’m not leaving until you tell me why you’re not happy.”

 

He groaned, his hand going to his face in frustration before he looked back at me. “Well then you’ll be here for a while seeing as how I’m  _fine_ and  _nothing’s wrong_.”

 

I made an indignant noise in the back of my throat, as I sat unmoving. “Then so be it, because I’m not moving until I’m told what’s wrong with you.”

 

…

 

“Bill.”

 

…

 

“Come on, seriously.”

 

…

 

He growled in annoyance, and I found myself smirking slightly, eyebrow raising as I sat still with my arms still crossed.

 

“Oh come  _on_ ,” He said, his expression growing more and more annoyed each minute I didn’t listen. “You can’t stay like that all day.”

 

“Oh really? And why can’t I?”

 

“Because you’ll eventually get bored and will want to do something else.”

 

“Try me.” I said in a slightly daring tone, smile growing wider.

 

“Fine,” He spat before muttering under his breath. “Be that way.”

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

_~About 20 minutes later~_

 

“Don’t you ever give up?” He asked, sighing. I shook my head.

 

“Never have. Never will.” He let out another breath..

 

“You know what? Fine. I’ll tell you.” He said defeatedly, raising his hands in surrender. “I’ve just... I don’t know _why_ I’ve been feeling this way, or why I haven’t been sleeping that well. I honestly just haven’t felt like myself the past few days, and I haven’t felt like doing anything besides stay in my room all day and do nothing but mope around for no reason. I... I just,” He sighed. “I don’t know.”

 

“Maybe it’s depression?” I asked. “If that’s how you’ve been feeling, maybe that’s the reason.”

 

“I don’t know…” He said, sounding unsure. “I mean, wouldn’t I know if that was it?”

 

“People don’t always know that that’s the reason they’re feeling how they’re feeling,” I answered, smiling a little. “Sometimes it can hit you out of nowhere with no warning.”

 

“And how would you know about something like this?”

 

“I know everything, remember?” I asked with a small chuckle. Moving closer to sit beside him, I wrapped my arms around him. “I could stay with you if you’d like. Maybe until you feel a little better.” I offered quietly.

 

I could feel as his mood lightened up just a little at the offer, and could tell he had a small smile on his face.

 

“Thanks…” He murmured, leaning into me comfortably and making my heart flutter and my face warm. I laughed lightly.

 

“Suboriri, Dipper.” I heard him chuckle airily before speaking up again.

 

“Can... y-you maybe... s-sing?” He asked nervously.

 

“You want me to sing?” I questioned, a little confused.

 

“I love it when you sing,” He said admittedly, face flushing slightly as he smiled up at me. “You have an amazing voice.” His expression made me smirk playfully.

 

“Do I now?” He nodded shyly before looking down.

 

“Suus 'perfectus…” He whispered, almost inaudibly. I licked my lips, laughing nervously.

 

“It’s... er... not... really, hah…” I stuttered slightly. “But I appreciate it.” I cleared my throat. “Wh...what do you want me to sing?”

 

He smirked up at me, chuckling a little. “Seeing you all flustered is seriously adorable.”

 

My ears grew hot as I glared. “I, am  _not_ adorable, okay? I’m supposed to be terrifying.”

 

“Suuuurreee you are,” He said teasingly. “Just look at how scared I am right now. I’m  _shivering_ with fear. Besides, the more you deny it the more adorable you are.” I huffed out, rolling my eyes.

 

“Keep this up and I’ll  _make_ you shiver with fear, Pine Tree.” He just laughed out before wrapping his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder.

 

“Sure you will.” He answered sweetly. “Anything would be okay.” He murmured, referring to my earlier question. I nodded in return, taking in a breath as I tried to think of something to sing for him.

 

 _“I got a plane in the middle of the night, don't you mind?”_ I started quietly, my eyes moving to look at him. A small smile appeared on his face as he seemed to recognize the song.

 

“ _I nearly killed somebody, don't you mind, don't you mind?_

_I gave you something you can never give back, don't you mind?”_

 

I heard him start to hum under his breath before he closed his eyes.

 

“ _You see my face like a heart attack, don't you mind, don't you mind?_

_I was late but I arrived…_

_I'm sorry but I'd rather be getting high than watching my family die_

_Exaggerate and you and I_

_Oh I think I did something terrible to your body, don't you mind?”_

 

I smiled when I felt him relax more, feeling a little happier.

 

“ _I put your mother through hell, don't you mind?_

_I hurt your brother as well, don't you mind, don't you mind?_

_Oh I was thinking about killing myself, don't you mind?_

_I love you, don't you mind, don't you mind?”_

 

“ _I put your mother through hell, don't you mind?_

_I hurt your brother as well, don't you mind, don't you mind?_

_Oh I was thinking about killing myself, don't you mind?_

_I love you, don't you mind, don't you mind?”_

 

My voice got more and more quiet as I reached the end, and I found myself subconsciously petting through his hair gently. I could tell that he didn’t feel as sad as when I first arrived, and that in itself made me feel better as I held him close.

 

“I don’t mind at all,” He breathed, referring to the last line of the song.

 

“Well I’m glad,” I answered, chuckling under my breath. “And I’m glad you’re feeling better, too.”

 

“Thank you for coming here Bill,” He said quietly. “Suus 'multo aestimantur…”

 

“Anything for you, kid.” I paused before continuing softly.“Y’know if you ever need anything, I’m here right? You don’t have to deal with things like this by yourself.”

 

He nodded slowly. “I know.” He whispered. “I’m sorry... I should have called you here earlier. I know you’re here for me... and I love you for that.” I felt my face warm up a little. “I promise that if I ever need anything else, you’ll be the first to know.”

  
“Good.” I said, humming in approval. “I love you too, by the way.” I added with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y2QOOhgYuw


	14. Bill's Idea Of Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this one sucks- mostly because I couldn't think of a better ending for it. Sorry ^^; Hope you still like it! Sorry it took a little longer... the internet was being stupid and wouldn't let me write or post anything

  
“Hey, let’s do something fun!” Bill exclaimed, sitting up quickly. I looked over at him with a confused expression, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Like what exactly?” I asked. “There’s not much to do around here.”

 

“That’s because you’re not even  _looking_ for something fun to do,” He stated plainly. “You’re just looking through one of the journals because you say you have nothing else to do.”

 

“Which I  _don’t_ . If you want to do something fun, go ahead and try and find something.” Bill whined a little, crossing his arms. I snorted, rolling my eyes before returning my attention to the journal.

 

“I have an idea!” He said excitedly, making me glance up at him for a couple seconds- which was long enough for me to see him make his way over to me and make me jump at how close he now was.

 

“Is it giving me a heart attack?” I asked sarcastically.

 

“No actually! We should fight each other.”  _That_ made me close the journal, and look at him as if he were crazy (Not that he isn’t already).

 

“Er... could you say that again? Did you say we should  _fight_ each other? Why would you want to do that?”

 

“Yes, I did say that!” He said, laughing a little at my reaction. “Because I’m bored and want to do something besides sit around. It’s not like we would actually hurt each other!”

 

“So... play fighting?” I asked skeptically. “Really? Even if it’s not real, obviously you’re stronger than me, so it wouldn’t really be fair, now would it?” He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

 

“Don’t be such a buzzkill, Pine Tree. It’d be fun! Come onnn~” He whined. “Please?”

 

I sighed, though was a little surprised that he was using his manners. “Okay, okay, fine.” I stood up carefully, a small smile on my face. “Let’s go then.”

 

“Optime,” He said with a sly smile.

 

Before I could make any kind of move, he pinned me to the wall by my shoulders, making me gasp lightly. He chuckled before moving to my ear.

 

“Got any moves yet, kid?” He whispered, making me shiver slightly. I breathed in shakily.

 

“Maybe,” I breathed, raising to put my hands on his chest and push just hard enough to make him stumble backwards a little. I moved quickly to try and grab him, but he grabbed my wrists and held them down by my sides, smirking. I grit my teeth as I tried to loosen his grip, but he wouldn’t budge.

 

“Let go!” I said, feeling slightly annoyed being the lower hand in this fight.

 

“What’s wrong, Pine Tree? Don’t wanna lose?” He teased, laughing.

 

“I’m not going to,” I huffed out, forcing some of my strength as I yanked my hands from his abruptly, surprising him as I tackled him onto the couch. I found myself grinning a little. “ _You_ are though.” He tried to get up, but I made sure to pin him by holding down his wrists as I straddled him.

 

“Well, well, looks like you’ve got me,” He purred. “What are you going to do now, hm?” I felt my breath hitch, and I gulped nervously.

 

“W-what? I’m not-”

 

“Tace et da mihi osculum, idiota.” He said frustratedly, rolling his eyes before freeing one of his hands and placing it on the back of my neck, pulling me closer so we were nose to nose.

 

“Oh,” I breathed, realizing what he said as my face heated up immensely. I pressed my lips to his gently before releasing the grip on his other hand. Within a few seconds, it became more heated as my tongue traced his bottom lip, and with a sudden burst of courage, inserted it into his mouth. He gasped, clearly shocked at my actions before gripping at my hair.

 

A quiet moan escaped my lips, and I felt myself shudder from pleasure.

 

_This is amazing... why didn’t we do this earlier?_

 

Being able to prod at almost every corner of his mouth and taste him, relishing in the fact that this was actually happening right now.

 

I yelped when he wrapped his hands around me, pulling me down on top of him and making my face turn completely red as I pulled away to see a string of saliva. I wiped it away quickly, embarrassed.

 

“Oh my God, I-I-I’m so s-sorry Bill.” I stuttered as I struggled to catch my breath. “Jeez…”

 

He laughed at my reaction. “It’s okay, Dipper. Would it be okay to ask just  _when_ and  _where_ you got the courage to french kiss me? You don’t seem like the kind of person to-” He said before cutting himself off, his face also flushed.

 

I chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. “To be honest, I’m not so sure.” I paused before grinning. “But I’m sure as hell that I enjoyed it.”

 

He laughed again, shaking his head. “Is that so?”

 

“Yeah,” I responded before smirking. “I like seeing you flustered for once.” 

 

“Shut up.” He muttered, making me giggle.

 

“How about we go back to the kissing thing?” I whispered, smiling. “If you don’t mind, that is.” 

  
“Fine by me,” He answered, a sly look on his face.


	15. Memories (Part II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write a part two to this story ^^ I hope you enjoy it! Tbh I wanted Bill happy again so this happened. (P.S- There's Latin in this, so I'll put the translations at the end!)

_Come on, Cipher..._

_You're able to cast plenty of spells, so it shouldn't be hard to find just one_

I sighed as I thought to myself. ' _There has to be_ _something_ _in here about reversing time..._ '

_There has to be..._

Since... that day... I've been trying to figure out a way to try and bring him back- possibly to the moment before he left the shack.

Going into his room even for a short amount of time filled me with a sadness that seemed to never leave, and made me feel hollow inside; an empty shell of my former self.

It used to be just him and I that lived here. His Great Uncle Stan had decided to move out of the shack and to a retirement home- leaving the responsibility of the shack to Dipper and I. His sister had moved out on her 21st birthday to move in with her girlfriend of 3 years (now 8), Pacifica. I chuckled to myself slightly.

_Funny how those two had started out as enemies who couldn't stay in the same room for long before an argument happened. Now they love each other more than ever, and would do practically anything for each other. Those two are inseparable._

_Kind of like how Dipper and I used to be..._

I breathed in shakily, closing my eyes as my mind was taken over by images of Dipper. I clenched my teeth, willing myself to not cry. I shouldn't be doing that- not right now. I need to focus. I need to find some kind of spell to try and fix this.

I breathed out through my nose before opening my eyes once more, and forced my feet to walk up the stairs and into his room- where his journal would most likely be. He usually hid it in a place that most people wouldn't be able to find, but seeing as how he trusted me, he told me only where to find it if I ever wanted or needed it for anything.

After looking for not even a minute, I smiled to myself as I grabbed hold of the book- sitting down on his bed slowly before skimming through the pages for anything that could be of use to me.

_Nothing_

I sighed frustratedly as I couldn't seem to find anything, even though I seemed to look on every single page for an answer. There was...  _one_ page, but...

It spoke of time travelling, but there was nowhere that it showed a spell for it. Eyes widening slightly, I gasped as I remember an important detail.

_Dipper mentioned something about some of the pages using invisible ink..._

_Could that be it?_

I sat up quickly, grabbing what I needed out of the bottom drawer of his dresser, and turning off the light. Sitting back down, UV Light now in hand, I flipped to the page that had mentioned time travelling, and grinned when I turned it on to see writing that wasn't there before.

"Hah!" I cheered happily when I found what I'd been looking for. It obviously was in Latin, but I wouldn't have any problem, as Latin is my first language- besides English.

Moving everything to the middle of the room to make it a little easier, and making sure the UV Light didn't leave the page, I sat down to try and clear my mind- and focus. Remembering the simple spell wasn't too hard, so I closed my eyes and thought of the day that Dipper had died. I took in a deep breath, letting it out as I prepared myself.

_You can do this;_

_You can get him back- just focus._

Licking my lips, I started reciting the spell carefully.

_"Virtute veneficas surgere,_

_cursus invisus trans aethera,_

_illuc me inveniam,_

_velim in loco et tempore."_

I gasped as I started to feel gusts of wind whipping around me, and feel my energy drain dramatically. Though it was a simple spell, it  _was_ a time travelling spell after all, it took all- if not most, of my energy just to produce it.

I opened my eyes, and found myself in the living room, on the couch. I bit my lip, feeling not just completely drained, but anxious.

 _'Please let this work... I can't lose him- not again.'_ I thought to myself. I suddenly heard him walking down the stairs, and I shot up from my position, and quickly made my way to the door before he did. He turned the corner, and looked confused, like he had the first time. I held back the excitement I felt of finally seeing him again after roughly 2 years, and kept a straight face.

"Bill... what are you doing?"

I swallowed my fears, and answered as normally as I could. "Dipper, you can't go out there." His confused expression increased, along with annoyance.

"And why can't I? I won't be gone long, so what's the problem?" He tried to sidestep around me, but I blocked him, making him growl lowly. "Bill, let me go. Seriously."

"Trust me, kid." I said nervously, feeling myself start to tremble. "Please, just listen to me. You can  _not_ go out there. There's something-"

"I'm pretty sure I can take care of myself. I'm not a kid anymore." He spat, now starting to show his anger.

"I  _know_ that," I said, slight anger seeping through me at his stubbornness. "But have you forgotten what kind of powers I have?"

"Obviously you don't know that, seeing as how you won't let me leave the house on my own." He crossed his arms, tapping his foot lightly. I groaned inwardly, and rolled my eyes.

"You didn't answer my question." I said quietly, not wanting to yell.

"-"

"You must've forgotten that not only can I teleport, or bring things into existence that I choose, but that I can  _also_ see the future." I cut him off, not letting him talk. "When I tell you there's something wrong, or that something dangerous is out there, you  _need_ to listen to me when I say so. You should know by now that I wouldn't ever lie to you, Dipper," I said to him, fearfulness making its way back into me. "I would never have reason to."

He sighed, his hands falling to his sides. "I don't know..." He said warily, his voice quieting. "I mean, is there a way you could prove to me that something is going to happen? Because if not, I'm going whether you want me to or not." I nodded quickly, licking my lips again out of nervous habit.

"It would take some energy from me, but I think I'd be able to show you. If... y-you want me to..." I winced a little as I heard myself stutter. My eyes started to burn from unshed tears as I thought of what  _could_ happen tonight if he doesn't listen, though I held them back as I took in a shaky breath. "Just... trust me, okay?" I whispered, not wanting my voice to crack.

His expression softened as he smiled empathetically, moving closer to link his hands in mine gently.

"I trust you, Bill, okay?" He answered softly. I nodded in return.

"Are you ready, then?" I asked, referring to my earlier statement. He nodded as he kept my hands firmly in his.

_His hands are so warm..._

My cheeks flushed slightly at the thought, and I cleared my throat as I smiled a little. "Okay," I breathed, closing my eyes. "Here goes."

Though reluctantly, I pictured the day in my mind as clearly as I could, as detailed as I could possibly make it, and used magic to transfer my memories and images to him- hoping that seeing them all at once wouldn't be too much for him.

~*~  
 

_"Relax Bill, okay? I promise I'll be right back, I just need to run somewhere quickly."_

_I was standing in front of the door of the Mystery Shack, unwilling to let him outside for a reason only I knew. "Let me come with you then." I insisted. He rolled his eyes, scoffing as he crossed his arms._

_"I think I'm old enough to go to places on my own, you don't need to come with me all the time." He said, making a frustrated noise as he tried to get around me, but I blocked him. "Bill, let me through!"_

_"Trust me, it wouldn't be a good idea to go out there." I said worriedly, though my tone seemed to go over his head as he scowled at me._

_"Move."_

_"No." I said sternly. "Dipper, are you even_ _**listening**  _ _to what I'm saying?"_

_"I_ _**said**  _ _I'd be right back." He growled slightly as he pushed me out of the way rather harshly and went out the door, closing it on his way out. I pulled at my hair slightly as I let out a frustrated yell._

~*~

_I let out a shaky breath as I focused on trying to find where he was,deciding to transport myself to some of the likely places that he would have gone to, but with no luck. My bad feeling grew the longer I went without finding him, and I felt as if I was going to be sick with how nervous I was. With no other options, I decided to go into the woods- not that I would want to find him here being scared as I was- and once again transported to certain spots in the woods that he liked to go to when he needed time to think. I heard a loud growl come from behind me, and instead of turning to run like a normal person might've, I ran towards the sound, hoping to find him._

_As soon as I arrived at my destination, I gasped, both out of surprise and fear, at what I saw._

_The creature just seemed to be a large shadow, though when it turned around, it had glowing red eyes and sharp teeth as it opened it's mouth, cackling at the sight of my arrival._

_"Well, well, well," It taunted. "If it isn't the infamous dream demon himself. I know why you're here. How's it been, Mr. Cipher? I hope life is treating you well, my friend. Though, I don't understand just why you'd choose to be in this form instead of your normal one."_

_I growled, my eyes starting to glow fiery red in anger before blue flames appeared in both of my hands that lay at my sides. "Where is he," I said in a threatening tone. "You son of a-"_

_"Woah, woah, woah, watch the language, Mr. Cipher," He laughed devilishly. "Or you might end up like your little friend over there." He gestured towards a tree that seemed to have streaks of blood running down it. My body seemed to freeze as I caught sight of just who the person was, and my breath seemed to catch in my throat._

_No..._

~*~

_I then shook my head, remembering the situation and rushing over to the broken and bloodied boy. At closer sight, my legs seemed to give out, making me fall to my knees in front of him. Knowing that I was now alone, hot streaks ran down my face as I reached out for him._

_"Dipper? Dipper, please answer me," begged, my voice cracking. "Please tell me you're okay."_

_His eyes opened, but only slightly as his face scrunched up painfully. He made no move to try and sit up, full well knowing he wouldn't be able to. His eyes flicked over to my direction, and he let out a breathy laugh._

_"I should've listened to you after all, huh Bill?" He spoke, his voice hoarse and just above a whisper._

_"Please don't blame yourself...Y-y-you didn't know w...what I was trying to warn you of."_

_He closed his eyes for a few seconds as tears slid slowly down his face. "I'm sorry," His voice full of regret. "I should have listened to you...a-and I...didn't. I'm so sorry..." He said as more tears ran down his face._

_"Y-you're going to be okay...I-I promise." I stuttered, breaths shaky and uneven as I controlled my sobs. He smiled slightly._

_"No... I'm not." He whispered. "And you know it..." He shut his eyes as another wave of pain went through him, making him whimper noiselessly._

_"Please don't say that," I whispered. "I can try and-"_

_"You ca...can't heal me." He interrupted. "You.... you don't have enough... magic. Not for this..."_

_I shook my head. "You don't know how much magic I have... how powerful it is. You can't possibly know." He just smiled weakly._

_"I love you, Bill..." He whispered. "I'll miss you...so much..." I swallowed anxiously._

_"Dipper... please," I tried, voice cracking as I tried pleading with him, unable to control the tears. "I love you so much...Please don't leave me... I... I need you..."_

_"You'll be okay...I...promise." He said closing his eyes. "Maybe we'll meet again."_

_A sob escaped my throat as I leaned down to kiss him one last time, and he grabbed my hand, smiling once more before he took one last breath._

_"I hope we will," I whispered before I broke out into non stop sobbing, holding his now cold, lifeless body close to mine._

~*~

_I fell to my knees as I once again started to cry uncontrollably, laying the flowers I had gotten down in front of the tombstone, when I thought of that night for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past year._

_~_

_"You were always so stubborn...never really wanted to listen to anyone but you." I grew quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I hope you like the flowers I brought for you...best flowers I found to be honest."_

_Today was the 1 year anniversary of his death... the night I found him._

_"I hope you know how much I miss you, Pine Tree. Can't go even a day without thinking about you. You're family misses you too, your sister, your Great Uncle Stan and Ford...they didn't want to believe that they were you gone...The same could go for me as well, I guess." I closed my eyes. "I still don't want to believe that you're gone. It feels like a dream. Heh, funny coming from a dream demon, huh? It's true though. I still want to believe that you're still here with us, having fun and enjoying our time together instead of being 6 feet under the ground." I finished, saying the last few words bitterly._

_I sighed as I looked at the cloudy sky that threatened to pour down unwanted rain. I smiled sadly at his grave._

_"I still love you with all my heart, Dipper. If only there was a way to bring you back like nothing ever happened. This past year has been miserable without you, and I'm not really as happy as I want to be. But one thing for certain..." I paused for a minute. "I don't regret meeting you 13 years ago...and I...I_ _**definitely** _ _don't regret falling in love and being with you through everything."_

_"I promise you...I will try and find a way to see you again. No matter_ _**what**  _ _it takes." I breathed, tracing my fingers down the stone and through the carvings in it._

~ _End of memory_ ~

~*~  
 

As soon as the memory ended, my eyes opened to the sound of a gasp. I looked to see that he was now starting to cry, his eyes all watery. A noiseless gasp escaped my lips as he hugged me to him tightly. It was then that I felt the effects of the spell and use of magic, and I found myself falling into him, feeling extremely tired. I managed a tired smile as some tears of their own made their way down my face. He pulled away, though keeping a hold of my shoulders to keep me steady. He laughed under his breath.

"H-how... did you m-manage to... to do this?" He paused, laughing again. "You... you actually went back in time t-to... save me? How?" I smiled weakly.

"I used your journal. Found a time travelling spell. Went back to before you... died... to try to warn you again." I chuckled softly. "I'm... guessing it worked?" I paused. "Please tell me you're not going anywhere, Dipper..." I said, a nervous expression on my face. Tears made their way down my face again. "Please believe me, because I don't think I'd be able to handle losing you again."

He smiled before shaking his head, using his fingers to gently wipe away the remaining tears on my face. "I promise I'm not going anywhere." He cupped my face in his hands, moving closer so we were nose to nose. "Of course I believe you- I mean, those were your memories, weren't they?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah..." I mumbled, my eyes growing heavy, making me look at him through half lidded eyes.

"I... can't believe you did that... for me. I mean... going back in time just to warn me? How much of your energy has been used up from that? Along with showing me the future- which isn't happening now, thanks to you." He said with a grateful smile.

I smiled wryly. "Doesn't matter how much of my energy I've used. It's worth it, being able to see you and be with you again." He laughed again, looking as if he were about to cry again from tears of happiness.

"You're unbelievable." He paused. "God, I love you so much Bill, you idiot." He said before pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. My eyes fluttered shut as I shivered at the kiss, my heart pounding in my chest at not having felt anything like this for about 2 years, along with the butterflies in my stomach. One of my hands reached up to caress along his jawline carefully, as though he were going to disappear out of thin air. I wrapped my other arm around the back of his neck to hold him close to me.

He pulled away just barely, panting quietly. I opened my eyes just barely to see him smiling a little. "You... Bill, you're exhausted- I can tell." He murmured. "You should get some rest..."

"I'm fine, just..." I breathed. "Please..." My lips hovered, just barely touching his as my fingers traced along his neck, making his breath hitch. "Ego postulo hoc... " I whispered. "Te requiro... placere..." He nodded carefully, his fingers threading through my hair comfortingly.

"Licuit..." He whispered, his lips just barely touching mine. "Omnia bene, promitto." I nodded promptly, licking my lips before pressing them against his fully. He made a small noise in the back of his throat before lightly brushing his fingers against the pulse on my neck. I held in a gasp, my breath hitching at the burning feeling of his touch. I backed up towards the door when I felt my legs start to give out for some support.

I was confused when his lips left mine, until I felt him press them against my throat. I bit my lip just before letting out a quiet whine, and wrapping my arms around him fumbly. I let out a shaky breath as he moved to a soft spot, and nipped at it lightly.

"Dipper," I gasped out, gripping his shirt tightly.

"Mmh?" He hummed, smiling a little as he moved to trail small kisses along my jawline to the base of my throat. I laughed under my breath, my cheeks flushing as I closed my eyes for a few seconds.

"Deus meus es miris," I breathed. He moved to look at me, laughing quietly.

"Tu quoque, bellum daemonium." He whispered, brushing parts of my hair out of my face. I smirked tiredly, my hands moving to the middle of his back, hugging him close to me. His hands moved to my shoulders.

"I'm so glad the spell worked... God I'm so happy to see you again." I felt tears threatening to spill, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I'm glad I won't find you... h-how I did before... I-I..."

"Shh... it's okay, love," He quieted me by brushing his lips against mine, with his forehead against mine as he cupped my face again. "Suus 'bene... I'm not going anywhere, Bill... I'm here..."

I blushed slightly at the nickname, but nodded nonetheless. He, in turn, kissed me softly, his thumb caressing my cheek. I sighed quietly out of happiness- and relief, that he was going to be okay.

He pulled away ever so slowly, lingering, as his breath mixed with mine.

"Amo te tam multo..." I murmured sleepily, a somewhat sheepish grin on my face. He chuckled in return.

"I love you too," He said with a grin. "How about we go to bed?"

"But it's... only," I paused to yawn, leaning on him more. "Going on one o'clock. I'm sure you're not tired anyways." He waved it off before answering.

"I don't mind. I like cuddling with you, my adorable Dorito." He added with a smirk. I just rolled my eyes, snorting.

"Watch it, Pine Tree." I said non-threateningly, a small grin on my face.

He giggled quietly. "Let's go, silly." He wrapped an arm around me for support heading up the stairs to his room. Instead of feeling empty, I felt content as we walked towards the bed, with me looking around the room slowly.

"Dulce somnii," Dipper murmured as we crawled under the covers. I laughed under my breath.

"Sweet dreams..."    
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> 1\. "Virtute veneficas surgere, cursus invisus trans aethera, illuc me inveniam, velim in loco et tempore."- Power of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, take me back to where I'll find, what I wish in place and time.
> 
> 2\. Ego postulo hoc... Te requiro... placere...- I need this... I need you... please...
> 
> 3\. Licuit...- Alright...
> 
> 4.Omnia bene, promitto.- Everything will be okay, I promise.
> 
> 5\. Deus meus es miris,- My god you are amazing,
> 
> 6\. Tu quoque, bellum daemonium.- So are you, my lovely demon.
> 
> 7\. Suus 'bene...- It's okay...
> 
> 8\. Amo te tam multo...- I love you so much...
> 
> 9\. Dulce somnii,- Sweet dreams


	16. First Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long everyone! >.> Been really busy with it having been the holidays and not having time to write... As always, hope you enjoy! ~<3
> 
> English to Latin translations will be at the bottom again! 
> 
> Happy New Year! ^.^

     “Who’re you gonna have your first kiss with, Dip?” Mabel asked me, a smile on her face. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

 

    “Who’s to say I haven’t kissed someone already?” She just looked at me for a moment before bursting out laughing. I raised an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

 

    “I know my own brother, Dipper. You haven’t had yours yet. Trust me, I can tell when someone’s had their first kiss.” She crossed her arms and grinned knowingly.

 

    “Oh come on, how is that even possible?” I asked skeptically. “There’s no way you can-”

 

    “I have my ways. And how I know is a secret, so I’m not telling you.” Her phone then went off, making her look down at it. “Oh! I’ll be back soon. Pacifica wants me to meet her in town to hang out for a little while.” She said quickly, getting up. She turned to me with a small smile. “You should work on it- we _are_ almost 18 ya know. I’m sure you have someone who can help.” She finished with a wink before walking out. When I realized who she was talking about, my face heated up immensely, and I groaned in embarrassment as I hid my face in my hands.

 

_She can’t be serious…_

 

_Him?_ _But... I-I can’t just…_

 

‘ _Why is it such a big deal anyways?_ ’ I thought to myself. ‘ _It’s just one little kiss- right?_ ’ I sighed as I pulled my knees up to my chest, rocking a little.

 

    I jumped slightly when I heard a knock on my door before it opened, revealing Bill himself, a smile on his face. He chuckled at my reaction before walking towards my bed.

 

    “Jumpy much?” He teased.

 

    “Shut up.” I mumbled.

 

    “Relax kid, I’m just kidding.” He laughed.

 

    “What are you doing here, anyway?”

 

    “What, I’m not allowed to just drop by for a visit?” I gave him a skeptic look. He snorted, sitting on the edge of my bed. “Alright... I came by because I knew you were feeling troubled, and thought you’d maybe want to talk it out.” I laughed under my breath.

 

    “There’s nothing to ‘talk out’.” I muttered, hiding my face in my arms. “I’m okay, really.”

 

    “You’ll feel better~” He said in sing-song.

 

    “How would _you_ know that?”

 

    “I know that keeping it in and not telling anyone about something makes it worse. I’ve seen it before, kid. I _have_ been around for centuries you know, so I tend to know a lot of things that you might not.” He paused. “Could you please look up so I can actually see you?” He asked quietly. I sighed before lifting my head, looking straight at him.

 

    “Happy?” I asked with sarcasm.

 

    “No, because you haven’t told me what’s bothering you.” I groaned slightly.

 

    “Well... this one I really can’t talk about it with you in particular.” I winced a little when I accidentally directed it towards him. His expression turned to one of confusion.

 

    “.....Why can’t you?” His expression then saddened slightly, his voice quieting. “Don’t you trust me? You always tell me what’s going on, what makes this time any different?” I bit my lip, my chest tightening from guilt at making him feel that way.

 

    “W-what? Of course I trust you, Bill; It’s just…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

 

    “ _I can’t tell you- not out loud…”_ I thought, forgetting for a moment that he could read my mind if he wanted.

 

    “What can’t you tell me?” He asked, confused. My eyes widened a little, my face growing warm.

 

    “I uh... hah, didn’t mean for you to hear that.” I answered, chuckling nervously. He sighed out frustratedly.

    “If you won’t tell me, I’ll continue to read through your thoughts to find out what’s bothering you.”

 

    I huffed, glaring a little. “Okay fine, go ahead. See what’s wrong with me, because... I-”

 

    “ _Can’t get myself to tell you out loud…”_ He looked a little surprised when he was told he could go through them.

 

    “Wow... it’s _that_ serious?” I nodded before looking down.

 

    “Optime…” I heard him whisper before I took a quick glance up at him to see him concentrating. Though it felt longer, a couple of minutes went by before he spoke again. He laughed quietly, his face flushing just slightly.

 

    “That’s what’s got you so worked up?” I opted to not say anything, and just nod, my ears hot. Though- I _was_ a little confused as to why he was blushing at all. That is, until he explained it.

 

    “And…” He paused to laugh again, though it sounded a little nervous. “Your sister... said I could... help you with that?” I laughed under my breath, rolling my eyes as I nodded again.

 

    “I’m pretty positive she was talking about you.” I paused, biting my lip. “Though I don’t know…” I trailed off, forgetting what I was going to say, and opted to say something else. “You don’t have to help me with this, Bill- really.” I said with a quiet laugh. “It’s just... my own personal problem. I don’t get why she would make this such a big deal, anyways.” I sighed.

 

    “I hate to say this, but it _does_ seem kind of important. If it’s your first time for doing something, I mean. Aren’t firsts for everything supposed to be memorable?”

 

    “I... I guess? But why would I need to worry about it right now? I have my whole life ahead of me, so I have plenty of time to think about it.”

 

    Seemingly not hearing the rest of my sentence, he spoke up again.

 

    “You know, I _could_...help you, in a way…” He laughed under his breath. “If... ah, if you want me to…” I looked at him, confused.

 

     _What does he…_

 

I gasped slightly, my face warming up immensely as I realized exactly what he meant. “Oh…” I whispered, swallowing nervously. Clearing my throat, I answered shakily. “Y...you don’t n-need to… Bill…”

 

    

“It’s okay, really,” He chuckled. “It’s not like you’ll find anyone good enough in this town, honestly…” I laughed a little, nodding in agreement.

 

    “But, how would you know how to…” I trailed off, embarrassed. He rolled his eyes slightly, laughing.

 

    “I’ve been around a _long_ time, kid. I know _tons_ of things that most people wouldn’t.”

 

    “I, uh... I see…” I said with a small smile, rubbing the back of my neck.

 

    “I could easily show you, if you want me to.” I thought for a minute as I bit down on the inside of my cheek. Finally, I let out a shaky breath, and nodded slowly before answering in a hushed tone.

 

    “.....Okay.” I said, though sounding somewhat unsure. He smiled slightly before pulling himself up onto the bed, moving closer to me. As he did so, I felt my heart beat against my chest a little faster.

 

    “Nervous?” He asked, teasing a little.

 

    “Maybe.” I mumbled, noting his slight smirk before it went away.

 

    “It’s okay if you are, Dipper.” He said with a small smile. “Most people usually are. Just follow my lead, and you should be fine- Trust me.”

 

    “I do trust you…” I said quietly. His smile grew a little at my answer.

 

    “Good, trust is important.” He gently placed his fingers under my chin, lifting my head to look at him fully. “So is eye contact.” I gasped lightly when he moved a little closer, heart now pounding.

 

    “Relax, kid.” He murmured, his face merely inches away. My entire face was burning by now, and I licked my lips anxiously. “Suus 'bene... “ He then whispered, making me nod just barely as my eyes starting closing slowly. I shivered as he carefully brushed his lips against mine, and whined almost inaudibly.

 

    “Please...” I whispered. “Bill…” I found myself gripping onto his shirt desperately, tempted to just kiss him myself. I felt him smirk slightly- most likely from reading my mind.

 

“Licuit,” He breathed before finally pressing his lips against mine. The sudden need for Bill filled my mind, making me move my hands from his shirt to the back of his neck as I tried to hold him as close to me as I could. He jumped slightly at the touch, and after a few more seconds, pulled away. I groaned inwardly as I felt his hot breath hit my face- my hands not leaving him. He spoke up quietly, his voice nearing a whisper.

 

“I think we can stop now-”

 

“ _No_ ,” I interrupted quickly. He looked a little surprised before he sighed, looking a little worried.

 

“I don’t think it’d be a good idea... I mean, what would the rest of your family think? I don’t think they’d like you being with a demon…”

 

“I don’t care what they’d think of it,” I said, a little annoyed. “Besides, you wanted to help me.” I heard him sigh again before he closed his eyes for a second.

 

“Dipper-”

 

“Bill...” I said, cutting him off again. I pulled him close again by cupping his face in my hands gently. I heard his breath hitch. “Placere…” I whispered shakily. “Noli prohibere…” He bit his lip, groaning before giving in.

 

“Optime,” He whispered back before pressing his lips to mine once again. This one seemed to last longer, and for that, I was glad. This kiss seemed a little more heated than the last…

 

Leaning against my wall for support, I parted my lips slightly to see how he would react. He smiled slightly, though not saying anything. He shifted slightly- almost as if he were sitting on my lap, lifting his hand to ghostly run his fingers along my jaw. I gasped breathlessly as I trembled, my face hot again as he started giving slow, gentle kisses.

 

Those few minutes, though it seemed longer, were better than I imagined. Though, sadly, it had to end sooner or later, and with the luck I have- it was sooner due to lack of air. He gave one last, lingering kiss before deciding to pull away. I chuckled quietly as I gave a nervous smile.

 

“T-thank you for, uh… hah... helping me?” I stuttered. He smiled crookedly before kissing the tip of my nose and backing away, making my face flush again.

 

“Nimis venerandum,” He murmured, almost inaudibly. “Anytime, Pine Tree!” I was quiet for a minute.

 

“Are... we still friends?” I whispered.

 

“Why wouldn’t we be?” He asked, confused. I rolled my eyes slightly, laughing under my breath.

 

“I’m pretty sure friends don’t kiss each other, Bill.”

 

“Well then,” He started, smiling slyly. “I guess we’re more than just friends.”

 

“You,” I started, chuckling somewhat skeptically. “want to... to be with me? _Me_?”

 

“I thought you wanted me to be your boyfriend?” He teased. My eyes widened, ears growing hot before I glared- making him laugh.

 

“Maybe.” I muttered- mostly to myself but knowing he heard me anyways. He tilted my head back up, making me look him in the eyes.

 

_Golden eyes... They’re... so…_

 

I bit my lip before a whisper escaped me. “Tam bellum…” When I’d realized he heard me, I stuttered out a nervous answer. “S-sorry Bill, I... I didn’t mean-” He pressed a finger to my lips to quiet me, chuckling. I was surprised when I seen him flush slightly.

 

“It’s okay, Dipper.” He paused. “And... I wouldn’t mind giving this a try. If you really want to…”

 

“But... you don’t have to if you don’t want to…”

 

“I _do_ want to,” He leaned his forehead against mine, smiling. “I find kissing you to be...enticing.”

 

“Is that so?” I asked quietly, also starting to grin. “Would you maybe... like to do it again?” I then breathed, deciding to brush my lips against his teasingly.

  
“Mmm…” He hummed in response, laughing slightly. “Fine by me,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Optime...- Okay...  
> Suus 'bene...- It's okay...  
> Placere... Noli prohibere…- Please... Don't stop...  
> Nimis venerandum,- Too adorable  
> Tam bellum…- So pretty...


	17. Relationship Troubles (Part I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so sorry for taking forever! My sleeping schedule is literal shit and I haven't been able to write much because of it >.> Hope this kinda makes up for it! And yes, there will be another part to this, hence the 'part 1' in the title ^^

I slowly made my way into the shack, taking cautious steps inside as to not alert anyone of my presence, and made my way to the stairs to head to my room. I shakily raised my hand to the wall to help support myself, avoiding creaky spots along each step.

 

~

 

“ _If anyone finds out about this, you’re_ _ **dead**. Got it Pines?” My boyfriend Kieran growled lowly, gripping my jaw tightly. I winced in pain, nodding nonetheless. He smiled sweetly._

 

_“Good boy,” He murmured, kissing the corner of my mouth before releasing his grip and backing away slightly. “See you soon.”_

 

~

 

I shuddered at the memory that had taken place earlier today. As soon as I was far enough away from his house, I started to run as fast as I could, not stopping until the Mystery Shack was in sight. I swallowed nervously before making my way to the bathroom.

 

Dread suddenly filled me when I caught sight of the damage he’d caused.

 

“How am I supposed to even hide this?” I whispered to myself, wrapping my arms around my torso as I looked down at the floor for a few seconds.

 

This time seemed worse than any other time. Black eye, with a small cut on the bridge of my nose... small cut on my bottom lip on the left... bruised jaw…

 

I let out a shaky sigh, closing my eyes to prevent myself from crying.

 

 _“Maybe I can sneak some makeup from Mabel’s room,”_ I thought. _“I’ll just have to be sure she doesn’t notice I’ve taken anything.”_

 

Once again, being careful as to not make too much noise, I made my way to her room- sighing in relief when I saw no sight of her. I quickly went to her dresser- the makeup and everything else being on the top- and grabbed what I thought I’d need to cover up what I could before heading back into the bathroom.

 

Deciding to take a shower, I turned the water on and waited until it was warm enough to undress and hop in. I let out a quiet sigh as the water hit my face, the heat from the water slightly helping my aching face. After a few more minutes, I- though reluctantly- decided that it would be a good time to get out. Can’t stay in the shower all day, after all…

 

After getting myself dressed, avoiding hurting myself more, I looked into the mirror, wiping it off to see a little better. Though the little amount of blood was now gone, everything still looked as bad as before. Sucking in a breath, I grabbed the foundation from the sink, and opened it. Making sure to get enough, but not too much to look obvious, I brushed over the bruise around my eye, as well as the one that seemed to spread a little more along my jaw, thankful that Mabel and I had the same skin tone. I decided that I wasn’t really able to cover the cut on my nose, nor the one that was on my lip.

 

If anyone were to ask what happened, I decided to just make something up that sounded reasonable. Absolutely _no one_ can find out what happened. If they did....

 

I shivered, not wanting to think about what he’d do. Grabbing the makeup, I headed back towards Mabel’s room, checking once again to make sure that she wasn’t in before slipping in myself and putting it back where she had it to make it seem as if no one took it in the first place before heading to my room, and closing the door behind me.

 

It was only around 5 or 6, but I felt absolutely drained from today. Not to mention that I now was starting to get a headache that didn’t want to go away. I flopped onto my bed, not worrying about changing into PJs as I pulled the blanket over myself. I groaned quietly as I rubbed at my temples, willing the pain to go away. Though I probably should have grabbed some medicine before lying down--because I don’t feel like getting back up to get any. I’ll just have to hope it’ll go away on its own.

 

~

 

_~Dipper’s Dream~_

 

_“I-I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Kieran said frantically. “I swear it was an accident.”_

 

_He had ‘accidentally’ slapped me after getting angry with me about hanging around Bill every once in awhile. I shook my head, a small smile on my face as I looked back up at him instead of the floor after staring at him with shock for about a couple of minutes._

 

_“I... I know it was... really, it’s okay.” I answered quietly. He smiled back before hugging me to him tightly, making me gasp a little in surprise._

 

_“Thank God…” He said in a relieved tone. “I... I was just upset... I-I didn’t think I would actually... **hit** _ _you--like ever. I wouldn’t_ _**ever** want to hurt you on purpose, Dipper.” He paused for a moment, backing up a bit as he carefully tilted my face up by the chin. His blue-gray eyes shining brightly, he continued speaking. “You know that I think you’re amazing, and that I love you, right?” I smiled slightly again as I nodded briefly. He grinned before gently brushing his fingers against where he had hit me- giving me chills._

 

_~_

 

_It wasn’t even about a month or two later before he had hurt me again. Almost every time I went to see him, he got mad about something that I had done, or who I’d hung out with. And every time that he’d hurt me, he would apologize each time, telling me he didn’t mean to do it._

 

_And I would believe him- only because of how much I truly cared for him and loved him with all my heart. That would make him happy each time... which, in turn, would make **me** happy as well._

 

_I would just be glad that he wasn’t mad anymore, and that everything would just go back to normal._

 

_Or, so I would think._

 

**_~_ **

 

  _“What have I told you about being around him?” He said in an irritated voice, making me wince. He crossed his arms. I chuckled nervously._   

 

_“He... Bill’s m-my friend, Kieran... He’s been my friend for about 7 years-”_

 

_“Yeah?” He interrupted. “Well that needs to stop. I do **not** _ _want you anywhere_ _**near** him, and I don’t want you talking to him. If you loved me like you say you do, then you’d understand my problem with him.”_

 

_I bit my lip as I tried to swallow the fear I was starting to feel again. “But I can’t just stop talking to him... H-He would think that something is wrong... A-and he would try to ask.”_

 

_“Well it’s not like you would have anything to tell him anyways.” He said, rolling his eyes slightly. He stepped closer, glaring. I found myself instinctively shrinking, putting my hands up slightly in defense. “You **can** _ _and you_ **_will_ ** _. Because if_ _**any** one, especially Bill, asks about the marks that you have, and you tell him…”_

 

_He wrapped one hand around both of my wrists, yanking them down from my face and making me gasp; I started to shake, scared out of my mind._

 

_“I won’t hesitate to kill you myself…”_

 

_I whimpered, mostly quiet enough for me to hear only. Still shaking, I nodded as quickly as I could. “O-okay…” I stuttered breathily, tears threatening to fall. “I’m s--sorry Kieran…”_

 

_He smiled in approval before finally letting go of my wrists._

 

_When I got back home that day, I had to be sure to wear long sleeve shirts or hoodies to hide the bruises on my wrists from how tightly they were gripped. No one questioned me since it was the middle of fall anyways- which, in turn, made me feel relieved._

 

_No one can find out…_

 

_~_

 

_He had texted me and told me to come over to his house for a little while, and I responded in less than a minute that I’d be over within a few minutes._

 

_Though, on the walk over, my nerves started to get the best of me. My mind was screaming at me to just turn back around, to not go to his house. I decided to ignore it, my feet moving forward._

 

_Is it normal to feel a little scared of your boyfriend of almost 2 years?_

 

_._

 

_._

 

_._

 

_After a couple more minutes, I found myself standing in front of his door. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself, before opening my eyes again and knocking carefully. It didn’t take long before the door opened up to reveal none other than Kieran, with a smile on his face._

 

_“Well, come in! Don’t just stand there all day.” He said, motioning for me to step in. I forced a small smile onto my face before nodding briefly, walking in before he closed the door behind us._

 

_“Do anything exciting today?” He asked. I shook my head before answering._

 

_“The only thing I’ve done productive today is work at the Shack with Mabel and Stan.” He snorted, rolling his eyes._

 

_“That doesn’t sound very exciting.” He said teasingly, a smirk on his face. “Good thing I texted you.”_

 

_“Really?” I asked curiously. “How so?”_

 

_“Because…” He moved closer, wrapping his arms around the middle of my back and pulling me to him. “Now we can do something that’s actually fun.”_

 

_My ears grew warm when I understood what he was saying, my eyes widening slightly. He scoffed playfully before leaning in, stopping about a centimeter away._

 

_“You’re adorable when you get flustered, Dipper.” He murmured- making me blush in return._

 

_Just when he was about to close the space between us, my phone started ringing. I recognized it instantly as Mabel’s. He closed his eyes, whining in protest._

 

_“Can’t you just ignore it?” He asked as he brushed his fingers along the back of my neck, making my breath hitch. “You just got here…”_

 

_“Well, i-it’s Mabel, so... I should probably answ-- ah-” He decided to tease by kissing my neck, and up along my jawline. “I should see what she’s calling for... If I don’t answer, she’ll get mad.” He backed away, pouting a little as he crossed his arms._

 

_“Fine. Go ahead. See what she wants.”_

 

_I smiled slightly, apologizing before quickly answering before it went to voicemail._

 

_“What’s up, sis?” I asked nonchalantly, leaning my back against the wall and crossing my legs. “Need anything?”_

 

_“Hey Dipping Sauce! Just wanted to tell you that Bill stopped over.” I rolled my eyes a little at the nickname before responding._

 

_“Really? Is he uh... still there?” My voice quieted slightly as my eyes darted up to look at Kieran to see if he was listening. He stood there, arms still crossed as he raised an eyebrow._

 

_“Well, he was here for a few minutes before deciding that he didn’t want to wait for you to get back, and disappeared to wherever he usually goes.”_

 

_I chuckled a little. “You’re talking about the Mindscape, right?”_

 

_“Oh yeah! That’s where he went.” I laughed under my breath before she spoke again. “He said he’ll be back whenever you are.”_

 

_“Was that all you had to call me about?” I asked semi-curiously._

 

_“Yep! And to ask what time you’d be back. Grunkle Stan wants to know.”_

 

_I thought for a minute before responding. “Hmm... not sure yet. But I can text you and let you know if you want? That way you can tell him.”_

 

_“Okey dokey! See you later, bro bro!” She exclaimed, and I said goodbye before hanging up and putting the phone back in my pocket._

 

_“So... what did your sister want?” Kieran asked, looking almost unimpressed._

 

_“O-Oh! She... ah... w-wanted to know what time I’d be back home so she could tell my Uncle.” I mentally cursed myself for stuttering. He walked towards me._

 

_“Oh? And who was she talking to you about before she asked that?”_

 

_I swallowed nervously before biting my lip. “Just... a friend, is all…”_

 

_“A friend?” He paused. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak out loud. “And who is he, might I ask?”_

 

_“S-she didn’t... say who it was.” He then glared slightly, tilting his head up a little._

 

_“Why would she do that? Doesn’t she always tell you who stops by?”_

 

_I shrunk myself against the wall a little, chuckling nervously. “Ah... No?” I said, my voice squeaking out of nerves, though it sounded more like a question than a statement._

 

_“Why so nervous?” He asked, looking slightly angrier. “Are you... **hiding** something from me, Dipper Pines?”_

 

_Unable to find my voice at the moment, I shook my head. He sneered before grabbing a hold of my shirt, pulling me close and making me squeak again, though this time out of fear as I stared at him with wide eyes._

 

_“Who was at your house?” He demanded. “Because if it was who I’m thinking of, then there’s gonna be a problem.”_

 

_“P-please, don’t-”_

 

_“ **Dipper**.” He growled, interrupting me again. “Don’t lie to me.”_

 

_“I... I-I can’t…”  I stuttered out, my eyes starting to burn with tears that wanted to fall- though I held them back as best I could. “Please... Kieran…”_

 

_“I knew it... I **knew** it was that Cipher guy.”_

 

_“H-he’s a friend, Kieran... n-not just t-to me, but to Mabel too. I can’t tell him to stop c-coming over all of a sudden.”_

 

_“I’ve warned you plenty of times about him. You seem to not want to listen to me when I tell you specifically to Stop. **Hanging**_ _._ **_Out_ ** _._ **_With_ ** _._ **_Him_ ** _. Didn’t I? I’ve_ _**told** you to stop, and you ignore me.”_

 

_Gaining a sliver of confidence, I spoke up against him. “Because he’s my friend. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t hang out with all the time. If I want to spend time with Bill, and talk to him, I will.” I spat, though shakily as I glared at him slightly. He blinked, taken aback by my confidence. Though my confidence quickly melted away as I saw the fire in his eyes. He lifted me up off the ground a couple of inches with both hands, and slammed me up against the wall, making me yelp in shock._

 

_“Like **hell** _ _you will, Pines.” He growled. “Don’t you_ _**ever** talk back to me again, you little son of a bitch.”_

 

_I closed my eyes tightly, waiting for what I knew would happen next._

 

_~End of Dipper’s Dream~_

 

_~_

 

My eyes shot open, and I sat up quickly with a short scream of fear, expecting a punch to the face at any second. Only then was it I realized that I had just woken up from a dream. I peeked over at my alarm clock to see that the time was only 5 in the morning. I sighed, flopping back down when I realized that I wouldn’t be going back to sleep any time soon.

 

That... that happened yesterday…

 

Well at least my headache ceased to just a dull ache. My face, though, was a different story. Both my eye and jaw seemed to be throbbing. I ran my fingers along my jawline, and winced at how tender it felt. Breathing out shakily, I got up, and headed towards the mirror in my room after turning the light on.

 

I groaned when I looked at myself.

 

“ _The makeup rubbed off in my sleep…_ ” I thought to myself, rolling my eyes. “ _Great…”_

 

Deciding to not want to stay in my room until the Shack opened up in a little while, I put my socks and shoes on, along with a hoodie since it would be a little chilly, and quietly made my way downstairs. I held my breath when I saw the glow from the tv. I peeked around the staircase, and mentally sighed in relief when it turned out to just be Grunkle Stan asleep in his chair with the tv still on.

 

Putting my hood up, I opened the door and stepped outside while closing the door behind me.

 

_At least there won’t be anyone around this early in the morning to see me…_

 

Deciding that it would be safe enough, I started to head towards the woods.

 

Almost every little sound I heard made me jump, and I looked around anxiously as if someone were following me.

 

Though I shouldn’t feel as paranoid as I do right now.

 

_Not that I can help it…._

 

After a while longer, my feet started to hurt a little. I looked around until I found a small pond- sitting a couple feet away on a nearby log. Picking up a stone, I turned my hand at the right angle and flicked my wrist, watching as it skipped a couple times before sinking beneath the surface. I smiled to myself slightly as a wave of calmness went through me.

 

“Everything okay?” Someone asked. I jumped a little, a quiet gasp escaping me as I wasn’t expecting anyone else but me to be out here. I looked over to see Bill sitting right beside me, a small crooked smile on his face.

 

“Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?” I asked in a slightly exasperated tone, rolling my eyes as he laughed a little.

 

“Why would I want to do that to my most favorite person in the world?” He asked innocently. My ears grew warm at the statement.

 

“Is there a reason you’re out here after 5 in the morning?”

 

“Is there a reason _you’re_ out here after 5 in the morning?” He copied, crossing his arms. I laughed under my breath as I continued avoiding looking straight at him and instead at the pond. Picking up another stone, I whipped it as fast as I could- making it skip a few times before sinking into the water.

 

“Woke up, couldn’t go back to sleep,” I said casually. “I didn’t feel like staying in my room until the store opened so I came out here.” I paused, not lifting my face but flitting my eyes over to him before looking back into the water. “Your turn.”

 

“Well…” He paused, as if he were trying to think of what to say. He then sighed. “I’m... worried about you, kid.” Confusion went through me.

 

“You’re... worried about me? But... why?”

 

 _Did he somehow know?_... I licked my lips nervously.

 

“Well, _that_ for one thing. Why are you so nervous all of a sudden? It’s just me.” He said gently. “Almost every time I visit, you seem nervous... almost like you’re hiding something.”

 

My breath hitched before fear starting making itself known in my mind again. I laughed to try and cover it up.

 

_Though it didn’t seem very convincing…_

 

“Wh-what would I be hiding? I’m not hiding anything.” I answered a little too quickly.

 

“Then why won’t you look at me?” He asked quietly, sounding a little hurt. “Could you at least look at me and tell me that nothing’s wrong?”

 

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” I said, my voice wavering.

 

“Dipper, please…” He said, voice almost pleading. “You can tell me if something’s going on…”

 

I shut my eyes tightly, my eyes starting to burn with unshed tears. I breathed in shakily before whispering out an answer. “I... I ca-...” I said before carefully turning my head to face him. Begrudgingly, I opened my eyes to see his golden ones staring right at me, as if he were reading me- though they looked full of sadness. Unable to help myself, my lip quivered slightly as I bit back tears.

 

“Dipper... why do you let him do this to you?” He breathed. I shook my head vaguely, unable to force myself to answer. He smiled sympathetically.

 

“I... I t-thought that I…” I stuttered before stopping again, clenching my teeth before lowering my voice to a whisper. “I thought I loved him… He... He wasn’t like this in the beginning…” Unable to stop myself, tears began streaming down my face. “No... No one was supposed to find out... God, he’s... he’s going to kill me…”

 

“He won’t get the chance to.” He said, his voice changing slightly, sounding protective. “Because if _that_ asshole thinks he can lay his hands on you, he’s gonna have the problem of dealing with _me_ personally.”

 

“He didn’t want you finding out especially... Bill, h-he’s going to kill me... he... he’s told me before-”

 

“Doesn’t matter what he says,” He growled slightly. “If he touches you again, _he’s_ going to be the one that gets killed.” He pulled me to him in a tight hug, as if protecting me- making me gasp rather loudly.

 

“Bill... please don’t-”

 

“I’m not going to do anything unless _he_ tries to,” He said, trying to sound reassuring. He laughed under his breath. “Kid... if you need to cry, I’m here…”

 

As soon as those words reached my ears, I clutched onto him before sobbing quietly. I felt as he gently combed his fingers through my hair before resting his head on my shoulder.

 

“Omnia bene,” He murmured soothingly. “I promise…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> Omnia bene- Everything will be okay


	18. Relationship Troubles (Part II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowee this took me longer than I thought it would to upload >.> Thumbs up for procrastination! xD Anyways, I hope you enjoy this part as much as the first one! (As always, translations will be at the bottom ^^)

  _[Text From: Kieran] Where have you been?_

 

_[Text From: Kieran] Why haven’t you been answering me?_

 

_[Text From: Kieran] You’d better answer me Pines before I come down there myself and make you_

 

_[Text From: Kieran] If you’ve told anyone anything I swear to god_

 

I sighed shakily as I ignored another one of his texts, though on the inside I felt regret of doing so- along with anxiety of him actually coming over to the Shack to do something about it.

 

If I told him I’d been ignoring him because Bill had told me to, he would most likely kill me instantly for even listening to him in the first place.

 

Every time he would try to call, I would be told to ignore it by Bill. In total, I have almost 10 missed calls from him from just today. Though I wasn’t around him, I could tell that by now he must be seething from the unanswered calls and texts. And every one that I would get, would make me more nervous. The voicemails that he left would send chills down my spine, and almost break me down to the point of wanting to curl up in a ball and cry endlessly- though Bill wouldn’t ever let me get to that point.

 

It was around the third day of ignoring him, that I was now afraid to leave my room- let alone my bed.

 

Mabel had tried to convince me to come out, though nothing she tried to say worked. By now, she knew of the situation with Kieran- but only because I had told Bill it was okay for _him_ to tell her, plainly because whenever _I_ tried to, my voice would break and I would start to cry even before I could explain. Since her pleading and begging didn’t work, she invited Bill to come over while she ran some errands in town.

 

The knocking on my door made me jump, until I realized the knock to be Bill’s. I mentally sighed in relief.

 

“Come in,” I called out weakly, moving to sit on the edge of my bed as I crossed my arms. He walked in, closing the door behind him before coming over to me.

 

“Do I even have to ask how many times he’s tried to get ahold of you?” He asked. I shook my head vaguely, laughing under my breath. My chest tightened, and without realizing it at first, tears ran down my face before I started shaking.

 

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, not wanting to look at him- instead focusing on my feet. I heard him sigh quietly before he wrapped his arms around me, practically holding me as he rested his head on my shoulder.

 

“You don’t have to apologize for crying, Dipper.” He murmured. I let out a short laugh.

 

“But I do it almost every time you come here now Bill. Y-you-” I stopped, sniffling slightly before closing my eyes. “You shouldn’t have to see me like this every day that you visit…”

 

“It’s completely fine if you’re like this... and it’s okay to cry if you need to.”

 

“But I _need_ to be _strong_. For my family... my friends…” I paused before mumbling. “‘S my fault I’m like this in the first place.”

 

“No, it’s not your fault.” He said defensively. I looked up to see a slight glare on his face. “You didn’t know that he would end up being the way he is now towards you. He treated you well at first, so it’s understandable as to why you still loved him- even when he hurt you- because you believed him when he said he didn’t mean it. In _no_ way is it your fault, kid. It’s his for ever hurting you for no real reason besides just feeling like it, and not wanting you around anyone but him.”

 

“But…I-”

 

“He doesn’t deserve you.” He interrupted gently but sternly. “He never did. He clearly doesn’t see the great person that you are if he’s constantly treating you like shit. You should always be treated with respect and love, and not be talked down to about anything- like who you want to be friends with. He doesn’t have the right to control your life.”

 

“He seems to think he does.” I muttered. I suddenly felt as my phone started to go off, and Bill looked suspiciously.

 

_[Text From: Kieran] Dipper, answer me_

 

I was about to answer him and apologize for ignoring him when my phone was snatched out of my hands.

 

“Bill!” I said, exasperated. “Give it back!”

 

“Not yet,” He said, his fingers gliding over the keys ever so quickly. A few more seconds went by before he handed the phone back to me. I went to my text messages, knowing that that’s where he must have been with how fast he was writing- which I was about to make a snide comment about- until I read what he had sent. My eyes widened, fear coursing through me once again.

 

_[Sent To: Kieran] Want to know why I haven’t been answering you? Because we’re done. I’m sick of you treating me like you own me, and controlling who I’m able to be friends with. From now on, I want you to stop texting me or calling me. I don’t want you over at my house. I don’t want to see you anymore, and I hope you go to hell. Bye Kieran ^-^_

 

“Wh- _why_ did you do that? Do... do you realize that he’s going to come over here now?” I stuttered. “Oh my God... I’m- He’s going to kill me... I’m dead... I’m deadimdeadimdeadimdea-”

 

“Dipper!” He exclaimed, putting a finger to my lips. “Mitescere…” He murmured. I couldn’t help as more tears ran down my face. He looked at me sympathetically before hugging me close again.

 

“He’s not going to hurt you. I promise, okay?”

 

“Okay.” I answered quietly, slightly unsure.

 

~*~*~*~

 

_[Text From: Kieran] Why is the door locked?_

 

_[Text From: Kieran] Dipper. Come outside. NOW_

 

“What did he say to you now?” Bill asked in an irritated tone. I continued to look at my phone, hands shaking. I tried, though failed, to not sound scared as I whispered.

 

“H-he’s... outside.” I heard him scoff before he grabbed my wrist and pull me up off the bed, making me drop my phone as he headed towards my door.

 

“That’s it,” He said under his breath. I started to panic and try to free my hand from his grip.

 

“W-what are you d- _doing_?” I asked frantically. He stopped just before going down the stairs, and turned to look at me.

 

“He’s _not_ going to lay a finger on you. I promised, remember?” He took my other hand in his carefully, smiling slightly. “Don’t you trust me?”

 

“Wh-...of course I do.” I stuttered.

 

“Then let’s go deal with him, okay?” I sighed before nodding, gesturing for him to go downstairs.

 

“You don’t have to do this Bill.” I said quietly. “He’s my problem…” I looked down, licking my lips a little.

 

“Well I’m going to anyways. And no, he’s not your problem. Not anymore.”

 

“I just…” I looked back up at him worriedly. “I don’t want him to hurt you.” He let out a short laugh before answering.

 

“The possibility of _him_ hurting _me_ is pretty low, kid. In fact, it’ll most likely be the other way around.” I smiled slightly, forcing a weak laugh.

 

“Right.” I put my hand on the doorknob. “Out we go then…” As soon as I opened the door, fear overtook me again as I saw Kieran standing a few feet away, his arms crossed and an expression of pure anger. I took a quick peek behind me to see Bill ushering for me to go without him for a minute. I turned back and chuckled nervously, raising my hand in an attempt to wave as I stepped outside in front of the porch.

 

“H-hey, Kieran. W-what, er... brings you here at this time?” I asked, my voice getting higher. He snorted in amusement.

 

“I thought, that you of all people, would know _exactly_ why I’m here.” He walked a little closer. “Now... about that _text_ , Pines.” His eyes narrowed.

 

“Hah...ah- funny you’d say that, b-because... th-that text in particular-”

 

“What makes you think you can talk like that to me?” He growled, grabbing the front of my jacket. I gasped in surprise. “You seriously think, that _you_ can break up with _me_? Because that’s not how it works. You wanna know how it works?”

 

I shook my head rapidly, making him chuckle lowly.

 

“Ah, well, that’s too bad- because you don’t get to decide.”

 

 _“Bill please,”_ I pleaded in my mind, hoping he’d hear me. “ _Now would be a great time to fulfill your promise.”_

 

“Oh, I’m pretty sure he can decide for himself.” Suddenly his grip was released as he turned to look at who interrupted him. There was Bill, standing on the porch, arms crossed and a small smirk on his face. “If you want to keep that petty little soul of yours, I would suggest keeping your hands to yourself.”

 

“This is none of your business, _Cipher_.” He spat, storming up to him. “Why are you even here anyways? You don’t belong here.”

 

“What makes you so sure you’re right about that?” He paused, moving to stand in front of me within seconds. “I’ve known Pine Tree here since he was a kid- I’m basically part of the family. _You_ , on the other hand, haven’t known him as long. I know him better than you, and I allow him to do what he wants, see who he wants.” He chuckled darkly. “You seem to think you own him, when in truth, you _don’t_. And if you so much as lay one finger on him again, well... I could just as easily make you regret _ever_ hurting him in the first place.”

 

Kieran just laughed as if he’d heard a joke. “Oh yeah? And _exactly_ what would you do to me to make me stop? He’s my boyfriend, I have a fucking right to see him _just_ as much as you do.”

 

Bill laughed out again. “Hah- did I hear you right? Your boyfriend? Didn’t you get that text message earlier? He’s not your boyfriend anymore you abusive, judgmental, possessive little piece of _absolute_ ** _trash_**.” He stepped up in his face with a scowl, his eyes darkening. “Now I suggest you leave this property, and never come back- unless you want to deal with _me_.” He growled. Kieran’s eyes widened as Bill’s eyes changed color completely, and his voice lowered to an almost demonic tone. “And I don’t think you want that…”

 

“F-fine, whatever,” He stuttered. “I don’t need you, and I don’t need _him_. I’ll... I’ll find someone better- someone who actually listens.” He looked over at me with a glare. “So long, Pines…”

 

And with that, he turned and briskly walked away without looking back even once. I heard Bill hum approvingly before crossing his arms.

 

“Bonum est faciet…” He said under his breath before turning back towards me. “Dipper... are you okay?” He asked, confused. It was a few seconds more before I realized that I had started crying again. I let out a weak laugh before I slowly sunk to my knees.

 

“Y-yeah I’m... I’m okay… Just…”

 

Words couldn’t explain how ecstatic I felt in the moment. It felt as I the weight I’ve been carrying on my shoulders for the past year have lifted.

 

_I... I’m free... safe... finally I’m…_

 

“Kid?” I heard him call out quietly. I heard footsteps and knew that he was right in front of me, though still standing. Out of the corner of my eye, I seen him reach out a hand. Smiling slightly, I took it, and stood up. I bit my lip as I felt more tears coming on.

 

_I can’t cry… Not again…_

 

But as soon as I looked up and into his eyes, everything inside me just broke down.

 

_I love how the evening sun shines down on him, making his golden hair seem to have a halo effect._

 

_And his eyes…_

 

_The way they glow in the sunlight, or how they light up when he’s laughing or happy._

 

_My God, he’s just…_

 

“You’re perfect,” I blurted out quietly, before wrapping my arms around him as tightly as I could, making him yelp in surprise. As soon as I felt him return the hug, I couldn’t help but let a sob escape my lips. “Thank you... thank you, thank youthankyouthankyou-” I mumbled on and on. He continued to hold me.

 

“I’m glad I was able to help you,” He breathed. “Both mentally and physically.” He pulled away, his hands on my shoulders, a sly smile on his face. “Why am I perfect, exactly? Last I heard, demons were pretty much the opposite.”

 

I laughed slightly. “Because, you got me out of a toxic relationship- the one thing that I couldn’t get myself to do because I was terrified to even try. I don’t think any other demon would do that for anyone- especially me…”

 

He rolled his eyes a little. “You and your little family have grown on me. I care about your safety and well being just as much as everyone else does. You-” He paused, his face reddening slightly. “You, in particular... you mean a lot to me. I mean, I’ve basically been with you through everything that’s happened every time you came to Gravity Falls.”

 

I smiled in agreement, my face also growing warm. “Y-you mean a lot to me too.”

 

He smirked playfully. “Well I would hope so. I practically live with you.” I rolled my eyes, shoving him lightly.

 

Once again, looking at him in the fading light outside, I was honestly awestruck at how amazing he looked. And he wasn’t even _trying_. When I realized my thoughts, my ears started to burn. I licked my lips, taking in a deep breath.

 

_How long have I even felt like this towards him?_

 

_I mean, I’ve known him since I was 12_

 

_7 years…_

 

_Maybe... maybe this is the reason why I feel so awkward around him sometimes_

 

“Hellooo? Dipper, you still there?” I blinked and seen Bill waving his hand in my face with a slightly confused look, a small smile on his face. “Everything okay…?”

 

“I... I can’t tell y-”

 

“There _is_ something wrong!” He said matter-of-factly. He mocked a glare and grabbed my face in his hands and pulling me closer, making me yelp in surprise. “Tell me!”

 

“I can’t-”

 

“Come on~” He whined. “Tell meeee, tell me tell me tell me tell me-”

 

“Alright!” I said exasperatedly, covering his mouth to shut him up. I smiled crookedly. “Y’know I can’t say no to you when you beg and whine nonstop.”

 

He laughed. “Which is the _exact_ reason I do so in the first place.” His face then turned serious. “Now what’s wrong?”

 

I bit my lip. “I-it’s not that anything’s _wrong_ , so to say… I-I-I just… well…”

 

He raised an eyebrow. “Hm?”

 

I huffed. ‘You can do this Dipper.’ I said to myself. “Well... have there been any cases of... a demon being with... a human? Like... in love? Together?”

 

He chuckled slightly. “You sound like such a teenager, Dipper. But as for your question… none that _I_ know of. Though I’m sure it’s probably happened before.” He paused. “Any reason you felt the need to ask that?”

 

‘ _Just say it, Dipper…’_

 

“T-the reason I asked i-is because… I-”

 

“Wait,” He said, interrupting me. He seemed to be thinking something over. When it finally reached him, he seemed a little shocked. “Y-you don’t love… _me_... do you?” He asked, his voice growing quiet. I opted to stay silent, figuring that saying anything now would change anything.

 

“Dipper, I... I…”

 

For the first time in years, Bill Cipher had nothing to say.

  
  
 

It was roughly a few minutes before either of us spoke up again.

 

“.....Bill?” I tried, hoping he would say something. He jumped a bit, and blinked, before focusing on me again.

 

“No one... no one’s ever said that to me. I-I’m just... just trying to... to, ah... process this…”

 

“I’ve got the rest of the day to wait,” I said somewhat sarcastically, a nervous smile on my face as I leaned against the Shack. He snorted before rolling his eyes at my comment.

 

“I’m just... not sure…” He paused. “How can I tell if I have feelings for you as well?”

 

Surprised that he was asking a question like this, I stuttered out an answer. “W-well… some ways to tell if you like someone i-is that... you might have a weird feeling in your stomach, like ‘butterflies’, when you’re around that person.”

 

He nodded carefully. “Do... _you_ have that feeling?” He asked quietly.

 

I laughed slightly. “I do, yeah…” I paused for a second. “Another way is that sometimes your chest might feel tight- as if you find it harder to breath when you’re around them.”

 

“Is there... anything else?”

 

“When you touch them... or even accidentally brush against them- you feel this kind of… _spark_ , per say.” He walked up to me, and I swallowed nervously. He looked at me curiously.

 

“Anything else?” He asked under his breath. I licked my lips, nodding before continuing.

 

“You want to be around them constantly. And if you’re away from them, you feel... lonely, I guess? It’s not the same when they’re not around.” I paused again, and looked into his eyes, my breath hitching as they seemed to glow the darker it got outside.  “Do... you feel like that... ever?”

 

He grinned. “Hmm... I’m not so sure…” I huffed out of slight annoyance. I took a deep breath, my face warming at what I was about to request.

 

“Bill…” I bit my lip anxiously. “C-can I m-maybe... Kiss... you…?” My voice lowered to a whisper near the end, my nerves completely taking over by now.

 

“Is that what people do to show their affection?” He teased, smirking a little- though his face was now a good shade of pink as well.

 

“Among other things,” I muttered, making him snicker. He moved close so that he was a few inches away from my face.

 

“Optime,” He breathed. “If it confirms what I’m thinking…”

 

I leaned forward slowly, closing the already small distance between the two of us. I felt as he wrapped his hands carefully around the back of my neck- and I decided that now would be a good time to heat it up a little bit. I placed my hands on his jaw and deepened the kiss ever so slightly- making him gasp quietly.

 

This continued for a few more minutes until we had to stop, due to lack of oxygen. When I opened my eyes, I saw that he seemed spaced out. I chuckled quietly.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked.

 

“I most definitely know now.” He said with a toothy grin. I gave him a confused look.

 

“Know what, exactly?” He laughed under his breath.

 

“I know that I seriously do love you, Dipper Pines.” He leaned in to kiss me chastely before pulling away. He pulled me to him in a romantic-like hug, as if someone were to take me away from him. I blushed immensely at how gentle he was suddenly being, and I hugged back, resting my head on his shoulder.

 

“I promise you, that no harm will come to you... as long as you’re with me.”

 

“Thank you,” I whispered, thanking him for not what he just promised (though it was part of it), but for everything he’s done. He nodded slowly, understanding what I meant.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Mitescere- Calm down...  
> Bonum est faciet- Good riddance...  
> Optime...- Very well...


	19. Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Valentine's Day Oneshot that I just wrote today! Hope it doesn't seem rushed ^^ Enjoy!

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Bill!” Mabel shouted excitedly as soon as I arrived at the Shack, making me cover my ears and cringe at just how loud it was. Though, I let out a small laugh as she wrapped her arms around me, slightly rocking side to side. She backed away, a grin covering her features as she clasped her hands together.

 

“Ah... thanks?” I gave her a confused look. “Though, what’s the big deal with this ‘Valentine’s Day’ thing? Is it a holiday?” She rolled her eyes before sighing.

 

“And here _I_ thought you were smart and knew everything about anything.” She teased.

 

“Hey! I just so happen to _not_ know about this holiday and why it’s so special.” I whined, crossing my arms and feeling a little offended. She just laughed before shaking her head.

 

“I’m just playing with ya, Bill.” She said, punching my arm playfully. “Valentine’s Day is a day you’re supposed to spend with your ‘special someone’,” She explained, using air quotes before smiling slyly. I stared at her blankly. She huffed. “Y’know, you and Dipper... spending time together... _alone_ …”

 

My eyes widened a little in realization, and the tips of my ears grew warm. “O-oh... ah, right…” I chuckled nervously. “Alone? But what about you?”

 

“ _I’m_ going to Pacifica’s house to spend Valentine’s Day with her.” She paused, as if in thought. “Oh jeez, I need to get going or I’m going to be late!” She exclaimed, heading towards the door. Before going out, she turned back to give me a knowing smile. “By the way, Dip’s expecting you any minute now, so I would suggest not standing there the rest of the day.” Then out the door she went, closing it behind her.

 

I was about to go up the stairs, but Dipper appeared in front of me before I had the chance. He smiled, raising an eyebrow. “Were you just going to stand by the doorway the whole time?” He asked teasingly. Shaking off my surprise, I smirked as I walked up to him.

 

“No,” I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him closer. “Are you just going to talk the whole time?” He laughed under his breath, shaking his head.

 

“No, actually,” He reached around to grab one of my hands. “I was going to take you up to my room for a bit, if spending your Valentine’s Day there doesn’t bother you.”

 

“ _Our_ Valentine’s Day,” I corrected. “And... I _guess_ I don’t mind.” I said slyly. “Lead the way…”

 

~*~*~*~

 

As soon as he closed the door to his room, I leaned him against the wall. “So... do you have anything _planned_ for us to do today, Pine Tree?” I purred, my lips inches away from his. He smiled coyly, snaking one hand around the back of my neck, the other threading through my hair.

 

“Just... _one_ thing, maybe…” He breathed, slowly brushing his lips against mine before looking at me through half lidded eyes.

 

“Te miris…” I whispered before smashing my mouth against his needily. A small moan escaped him as he gripped at my hair tightly. I traced my tongue slowly against his lips, making him shudder- though his mouth opened just enough for me to slip in. He gasped, completely slipping into submission as he allowed me to take control.

 

We pulled away, panting, before I got to work on his neck. I bit down just enough to get a reaction out of him, but not enough to draw blood, before slowly sucking on it.

 

“God... Bill…” He groaned, making me smirk. I moved to trail small kisses along his jawline, getting close enough to gently nibble on his earlobe, making him shiver again.

 

“You.” I breathed, returning to his lips. “Are.” I kissed the corner on his mouth. “Mine.” Returning to his lips, whispering so he could just barely hear. “Licuit?”

 

He nodded vaguely, his eyes looking slightly glazed over. “Always,” He said softly, his arms moving to my neck. “Te amo…” He breathed. “So much, Bill…”

 

I smiled a little. “Te quoque amo, Dipper Pines…”

 

He pressed his lips to mine again, this time moving slowly. This continued for a couple of minutes, a warm feeling growing in my chest as I held him. We barely separated, and when we did, I was left feeling breathless as I leaned my forehead against his, closing my eyes for a moment- listening closely to Dipper’s breathing as well. Without thinking, I read through his thoughts- and licked my lips before sighing softly. As if he knew, he opened his eyes, and looked at me.

 

“You read my mind.” He stated, not exactly asking.

 

“Kid, I... W-we can’t, I…” He looked at me sadly, making me stop.

 

“I understand.” He said morosely. “I-if... you don’t-”

 

I pressed a finger to his lips to silence him. “Trust me, I want to... It’s just... Your Uncle... he made me promise not to do anything of the sort.” I smiled sheepishly. “He said he’d kill me if I, ah…tried anything with you... being 17…”

 

Dipper rolled his eyes, scoffing slightly. “Of course he’d do that…”

 

“Hey, don’t be upset, okay? This is supposed to be our day, remember?” I said, tilting his chin up so he’d look at me. “He didn’t say I couldn’t kiss you... or cuddle with you...”

 

He grabbed my hand gently, pulling me over to his bed, and sitting down- pulling me on top of him, making my bangs fall in my face. I gasped quietly in surprise. He spoke with a determined look on his face.

 

“Then kiss me and cuddle with me... please…”

 

I laughed breathily. “Okay…” And before I could say anything else, he pulled me down into a soft, gentle kiss- moving slowly. My face warmed at how gentle he was being at the moment, and I could feel my heart beating faster.

 

I pulled him into a hug, rolling onto my side as I faced him. “Mean mundum me ad te…” I murmured. He looked at me, slightly confused as he tried to understand me. It was a few seconds before he smiled at me.

 

“You mean the world to me too, Bill.” He kissed the tip of my nose, making my face scrunch up a little. He giggled, smiling crookedly before speaking again. “Felix Valentino Dies…”

  
I rolled my eyes before returning the gesture. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Pine Tree.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Te miris- You are amazing...  
> Licuit?- Alright?  
> Te amo- I love you  
> Te quoque amo- I love you too  
> Mean mundum me ad te- You mean the world to me...  
> Felix Valentino Dies- Happy Valentine's Day...


	20. Separation Anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some parts of this I feel like I rushed and I'm sorry if it seems like it ^^; Hopefully it's still okay though! [Translations will be at the end as always!]

 I sat in my room- by the window specifically- looking out the window with my arms crossed as I thought of what had happened earlier. That was when the disappointment and sadness came in.

 

~*~*~*~

 

_“You’re in a **relationship**_ _with him?” Ford asked furiously. “Do you not_ _realize_ _what he is and what he’s_ _**done** to us Dipper? He’s tricked us over and over, and has gotten away with it every single time. He thinks of everything as a joke! I’m going to bet he doesn’t even take your relationship with one another seriously.”_

 

_I frowned, anger coursing through my mind. “Yes, I realize he’s a demon. Yes, I know what he’s done to us. He **has**_ _tricked us, but that was_ _**how** _ _long ago?” I argued. “How can you not see how different he is now? I’ll admit, I was wary of believing him and trusting him- but he eventually was able to show me that he’s_ _**changed**. He doesn’t cause as much trouble as he used to, if anything-”_

 

_“Don’t you remember the time when he took over your body and **completely** kicked you out? He did that just so he could find the journal and take it from you.”_

 

  _I growled slightly at the interruption, though I just grit my teeth. “That was just a job, Uncle Ford. He feels terrible that he had to do that in the first place, especially for Gideon of all people- seeing as how he doesn’t like him either.”_   

 

_“He **went into** _ _my brother’s_ _**mind** , Dipper. He went through almost all of his memories just to get the code to the safe for the deed to the Mystery Shack.”_

 

_“That was years ago, just like the ‘taking-control-of-my-body’ thing. He’s told me everything he’s felt bad about doing to us. And as for our relationship,” I paused, a sharp laugh escaping me. “Our relationship is the most important thing in the entire **universe**_ _to him, and absolutely_ _**nothing** could change that for him.”_

 

_“You need to end it with him. **Now** , before things get out of hand.” He said strictly, crossing his arms as he glared._

 

_“No.” I said lowly, a scowl present in my expression. He continued to glare at me for a few more minutes, not saying a word. He smirked slightly._

 

_“Very well then,” He said almost innocently, his arms going behind his back as he walked over to me slowly. “If you won’t listen to what I have to say... I’ll just need to make sure that Cipher can’t come anywhere **near** the Shack, let alone you.”_

 

_“How are you going to do that?” I asked slowly, concern at the edge of my tone._

 

_“Oh, Dipper... you seem to forget just who the author of the journals are. I know almost everything there is to know about that **demon**_ _,” He said with a sneer. “I know spells and objects that can keep him away from you_ **_and_ ** _the Shack. Spells only_ _**I** know of.”_

 

_I looked at him with confusion before he quickly went to the back room, and came back with the journal._

 

_“Good thing we don’t need anything for this.” He mumbled. He grabbed a hold of my wrist, making me gasp._

 

_“Uncle Ford, w-what are you-”_

 

_“If you’re not going to stay away from him on your own, then I’ll have to help you.” He sighed a little before looking down at the now open book. “Trust me, it’s for your own good.”_

 

_“Let...me… **go**!” I said frustratedly, yanking to try to free my hand, but to no avail._

 

~*~*~*~

 

I looked over to the mirror that was on the other side of the room, and saw the faint glow of the almost invisible barrier around the Shack from the outside.

 

I then looked at the symbol that now rested on my wrist.

 

“ _How ironic of it to be a triangle…_ ” I thought dully.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“ _That mark will make it so he can’t anywhere near you without experiencing pain,” Ford explained. “Even if you leave this particular area, you’ll be protected from him.”_

 

~*~*~*~

 

No longer wanting to just sit around doing nothing, I grabbed my jacket out of my closet, and made my way down the stairs to the front door- heading out without so much as a goodbye.

 

It’s been at least a little over a week since Bill visited, and knowing the reasoning behind it made me sigh in frustration. Though it was starting to get dark, being around 7 at night, I decided to go into the woods- not wanting to stick around for too long in one place.

 

“Why didn’t I see this coming?” I mumbled to myself as I leant against a tree, slowing sliding until I felt myself hit the ground. “I figured Ford wouldn’t be too happy if he ever found out, but I didn’t expect him to... to do _this_ to me.” I looked at the triangular mark on my wrist, now glowing a light blue in the almost darkness. “To just... _take away_ my freedom like this.”

 

The sound of leaves crunching from footsteps made me look up to see the person- or, demon- I’d been thinking about for the past week or two. He looked at me with concern, standing roughly 10 feet away.

 

“What’s going on, Dipper?” He asked. “I can’t seem to get anywhere near you or the Mystery Shack without feeling any sort of pain.” As if to prove this, he moved closer to me- before stopping a good couple feet away, pulling at his hair as he hissed. After a moment, he backed away reluctantly, his glowing eyes showing dejection. I closed my eyes, close to tears at his expression.

 

“Ford.” Was all I said- felt like it was all I needed to say for him to understand exactly what had happened- my voice cracking. I only heard a sigh before he supposedly sat down opposite of me.

 

“What did he do, exactly?” He asked, his voice soft. I sucked in a breath, lifting my head to look at him. I rolled up the sleeve of my jacket just enough to show the glowing, triangular charm keeping him from being able to come near me. He glared at the sight of it, a low growl escaping his lips.

 

“He put a _charm_ on you to keep me away from you?” He laughed sharply. “How pathetic. He _still_ has a little grudge against me. Just can’t seem to let go of the past…”

 

“We’ll... figure something out... right? I mean…” I bit my lip for a couple seconds. “He used the journal for the charm.” I held up my wrist to show the little triangle. “There’s _gotta_ be something in it to fix this, right?” I said hopefully.

 

Bill looked down at his laps, his arms against his chest. He spoke quietly, his voice unsure. “Right…”

 

I breathed out slowly as I let my shoulders slump.

 

_Don’t cry... not now…_

 

“I’m sorry I can’t comfort you, kid.” I heard him say softly. I looked up to see a sad smile on his face. “Regardless of how much I really want to... I don’t like seeing my Pine Tree upset.”

 

I had to laugh at the nickname, and I sniffled. “I seriously wish I could hug you and kiss you right now, Bill.” At that comment, he chuckled a little.

 

“The same to you, Dipper.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

It was late at night when I decided to go back home- so I was a little surprised to see that some of the lights were still on. Walking in, I saw Grunkle Stan and Ford in the kitchen, seemingly just talking. They both turned when they saw me walk in. Ford raised an eyebrow.

 

“What were you doing out so late at night?”

 

“Yeah, we were startin’ to get a little worried about ya,” Grunkle Stan added. With a forced smile, I answered.

 

“It’s... I-I’m okay, Grunkle Stan. Just had to... get out for a little while.” Stan’s expression turned to one of concern as he saw _my_ grim expression. He walked over, resting his hand on my shoulder.

 

“Everything alright, kiddo?”

 

“I’m sure everything’s fine,” Ford cut in before I could speak, walking over with a small smile on his face. “Probably just normal, teenage problems.”

 

I glared slightly, though smiled to try and cover it up. “Y-yeah. Don’t worry, I’m okay.” I faked a yawn, stretching my arms as an added effect. “I’m gonna go to bed. Been a long day.”

 

He nodded in understanding- though Ford seemed as if he knew as I passed by him and up the stairs.

 

I laid down in bed, and thought about the next day, and how I would try to sneak a peek at the journal he used to put this charm on me to see if there was any way to rid of it.

 

~*~*~*~

 

The next few days were uneventful, as each time I tried to go into Great Uncle Ford’s study, he would find some way to keep me away- probably knowing what I was going after.

 

I’ve tried convincing him, again and again, about how much Bill really _had_ changed- that he’s not that same trickster from a few years ago. He never listened to reason though. Every time I tried to tell him something good about Bill, he’d find a way to counter it by speaking about something he’d done years ago, and how it still affects us now.

 

I’d then give up- retreating back to my room for the rest of the day, flopping down onto my bed unceremoniously with a groan.

 

I turned to my side, facing the wall as I felt tears sting my eyes.

 

God, was the loneliness starting to get unbearable.

 

“Te desidero, Bill…” I whispered into the empty space of my room.

 

~*~*~*~

 

The next couple of days were spent in my room, with me sitting in my bed with a tired expression that didn’t seem to want to leave- the circles under my eyes darker than ever.

 

Every time I’d try to sleep, the thought of Bill would pop into my head and make me too sad to sleep.  

 

Grunkle Stan was definitely starting to notice the change of attitude and the sudden lack of sleep that took over me.

 

Though I didn’t tell him the reason to these problems, regardless of how many times he’d try to ask.

 

In the morning, deciding to not even properly get dressed or brush my hair, I headed downstairs in my pajamas, looking as tired as ever. When I entered the kitchen, Mabel was making some pancakes, adding some sprinkles in the process, when she noticed me sit down at the kitchen table. She smiled, though it looked forced- her eyes looking full of worry.

 

“Morning, Dip Dop!” She said cheerfully. “You want any pancakes?”

 

I smiled tiredly at her, shaking my head. “No thanks... I’m not hungry.” She sighed, though nodded her head in understanding as she went back to her cooking.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Later on, I laid down on the couch, lazily flipping through channels, not really picking anything to watch. I dropped the remote, covering my face in my arms as my breath hitched, the tears rolling freely down my face within seconds. I sobbed silently to myself, shaking despite myself.

 

I didn’t know how, or when, Grunkle Stan walked into the room and saw me like this, before walking out of the room silently. It wasn’t long before I convinced myself to calm down a little, though still gasping. I couldn’t help but listen in on the conversation.

 

“-you did this to him, you need to fix it-”

 

“It’s for his own _good_ , Stanley. It’s not healthy for him to be in a relationship with a demon.”

 

“You think by charming him that it will solve everything? Haven’t you even _noticed_ his lack of sleep? The darkness under his eyes- or the redness from crying so often? You _really_ think keeping him away from someone he loves is _healthy_ , Stanford?”

 

Ford didn’t respond, giving Grunkle Stan another chance to speak. “He’s in there, _right_ now, _crying_ his _eyes out_ , because of what you’ve done. Don’t you feel the least bit guilty for that?” He quieted his voice. “You may not trust Cipher, but Dipper does- with all his heart. And if he’s _really_ changed... don’t you think we should at _least_ give him a _chance_ to prove himself?”

 

Stan sighed. “I hate seeing my nephew like this. And I’m sure you do too. _Fix_. _It_. Before this gets any worse than it already is.”

 

There was silence for a few more moments, before I heard another quiet sigh. “Very well... I may not trust Bill, but I don’t want to see Dipper so unhappy. I... suppose I could... try to give him a chance…”

 

I found myself smiling for the first time in weeks.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Alright,” Ford started, leading me outside. “I got rid of the barrier that keeps him away from the Shack.”

 

“You still haven’t gotten rid of the charm.” I muttered, crossing my arms.

 

“I want to see if what you and my brother are saying is true. If Bill really has changed... if he cares for you like you say he does... then I will remove the charm.”

 

“Fine,” I whispered, lowering my eyes to the ground. “If you’re going to call out for him, then do it-” I snapped accidentally- feeling slightly guilty. “Sorry…”

 

He smiled at me- his expression turning to one of understanding- before patting my shoulder, and turning to the woods. “Cipher! I know you’re out there- I’d like to speak with you.” He called out.

 

It took less than a minute before Bill showed up in his normal, triangular form. He seemed to glare at Ford. “Well well... long time no see, Fordsey. What is it you want? I have better things to do than talk... to…” He stopped talking when he noticed me standing beside Ford. His glare turned into what looked like longing. He floated a little closer, but still quite a ways away from the Shack. “Dipper?” He whispered. “W-what is-”

 

“I took down the barrier that kept you away from the Shack.” Ford spoke somewhat monotonously. “You can come closer than you are right now.”

 

Bill barked out a laugh. “Yeah, right...  but I still can’t go anywhere near Dipper, _can_ I?” He asked, though he seemed to already know the answer. “You still have that... that _damned_ charm on him, _don’t you_?” He sneered.

 

“I have reason to still not fully trust you,” Ford answered lowly. “But I care about my nephew’s well being, and I truthfully don’t like seeing him this upset. Especially over you,” He muttered under his breath, probably hoping Bill wouldn’t hear him.

 

“ _Especially over_ ** _me_**? Are you fucking kidding me right now?” He growled, his eye turning red. “The reason he’s even like this in the first place is because of _you_ , you little-”

 

“ _Bill_ ,” I called out, just loud enough for him to hear me. I closed my eyes for a few seconds before opening them again, smiling sadly. He turned towards me, shock written on his face. “Just... please hear him out, okay?” I pleaded gently. “For me?”

 

He looked away for a moment, before sighing and looking back towards us, nodding. “Doleo,” He said softly. “Go ahead, Six Fingers. Finish what you were saying.”

 

“Firstly, turn into your human form…”

 

Bill rolled his eye but didn’t question, instead folding in on himself, and appearing human in less than a few seconds. He raised an eyebrow.

 

“Your human form doesn’t look half bad, Bill,” He teased lightly.

 

“Fuck off,” Bill scoffed, crossing his arms- making Ford laugh.

 

“Come as close as you can to Dipper.” Nodding and taking a breath, Bill started to slowly make his way over, looking nervous- making my chest tighten in both anxiety and anticipation. He once again got within 10 feet of me before stopping, and gasping before shutting his eyes in pain, holding both sides of his head again.

 

“Bill,” I breathed, worried... yet wanting him to come closer so I could hold him.

 

_I love you…_

 

Bill opened his eyes when he heard the thought, and looked up at me, his eyes starting to shine with unshed tears.

 

“I l-love y--ou t... too,” He stuttered as he forced himself to walked closer. He got within 5 feet before he dropped to the ground, a small scream leaving him in the process as he held his head again. What scared me was when he looked like he started glitching in and out of reality- back and forth from his demon form to his human form--among others.

 

I tried to back away to make it stop, but Ford held out his arm to hold me in place. I cried out desperately.

 

“Great Uncle Ford, _do_ something! _Please_!”

 

“ _Deus_ , obsecro, ne ad eam,” Bill whimpered, shaking uncontrollably as he continued to glitch. Ford looked at him before sighing.

 

“It’s a good thing I don’t need the journal to remember this…” He mumbled before reciting a spell I hadn’t heard. It took about half a minute before Bill stopped convulsing completely, gasping and grasping at his neck. I looked at my wrist, grinning happily when I no longer saw the mark that kept Bill away from me.

 

I yelped when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me tightly, almost knocking me over.

 

“I missed you... so much, Dipper…” He breathed.

 

“I missed you too, Bill…” I whimpered, gripping his shirt tightly as if he were to leave me again. He pulled away just enough for me to see streaks of tears going down his face. He laughed quietly when he saw I was doing the same. Not caring that Ford was still watching us, I pressed my lips to Bill’s fervidly.

 

Unbeknownst to me, Ford smiled, happy that I seemed to be myself again.

 

When I remembered we weren’t alone, my face burned immensely before I pulled away. Bill leaned his forehead against mine, looking flushed as well- though not as much as me as he started to laugh.

 

“Your face is completely red, Pine Tree. Everything okay?”

 

I whined before hiding my face in the crook of his neck. “Shut up you dumb triangle…” I muttered. “And don’t ever leave me again.”

 

“You know you love me,” He teased, snickering. “And you know I won’t,” He said, resting his chin on the top of my head. “Not ever…”

 

~*~*~*~

 

It took a little while for Ford to get used to Bill being around almost 24/7, but it seemed he was starting to grow accustomed to it.

 

Mabel even convinced him _and_ Grunkle Stan to let Bill stay at the Mystery Shack.

 

“You don’t want him to be all sad again, do you?” She argued, making the both of them reach an agreement.

 

He even got to sleep in the same room as me.

 

“Welcome to our _crazy_ family, Bill!” Mabel cheered, hugging both me _and_ him, surprising us both.

 

He laughed before shaking his head. “Glad to be a part of it, Shooting Star.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Especially if it means staying with him.”

  
I blushed, but laughed nonetheless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Te desidero- I miss you  
> Doleo- Sorry  
> Deus, obsecro, ne ad eam- God, please, make it stop


	21. A/N- Sorry ^^;

I am _so_ sorry with how long it's taking me to write oneshots

(Almost 1 month? >.>)

I have ideas, it's just that when I go to write a oneshot- my mind goes blank and I don't know how to write it how I want it .-.

I'm not sure how long it'll take me to post the next one, but I just wanted you guys to know that I'm _**not**_ going to stop writing anytime soon, so you don't have to worry about that ^-^

I'm guessing a break might help me? 

Hopefully...

I appreciate all the comments and likes that I get from you guys- it seriously makes my day when I see them :)

Love you guys <3

~Midnite


	22. Dipper Gets Glasses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Holy shit it's been forever >.> I apologize friends, it's just a lot of stuff has been happening recently- mostly family stuff- and my depression/anxiety's been kicking my ass. It hasn't exactly been getting better, but I'll try to write BillDip's whenever my mind lets me ^^; Anyyyways, hope this oneshot is okay- Enjoy! ~<3

“Aww, cheer up Dip Dop!” Mabel said, patting one of my slumped shoulders. “I bet it won’t be as bad as you think it’ll be.” I rested my hands on my lap as I looked down, avoiding looking at Mabel’s cheerful face. Nothing could make me feel better right now.  
 

“Mabel, I have to get _glasses_ ,” I emphasized in an annoyed voice. “How is that not bad? I don’t _want_ glasses.” I sighed as I decided to rest my chin in my hands, my elbows now on my lap as I sat hunched over in the car. “Now whenever we go back home to California, people at school will have all the more reason to make fun of me…”

 

“Okay, first of all, you’re not the _only_ person to have glasses.” She wrapped an arm around my shoulders comfortingly. “And second, if people so much as call you a name, they’ll have _me_ to deal with- so don’t worry about it!”

 

“Your sister’s got a point, kid.” Grunkle Stan cut in. “Don’t let anybody make fun of you for anything- especially just because you’re wearing glasses.”

 

“But why can’t I just get contacts?”

 

Stan sighed a little. “Wish we could do that for ya, but I’m afraid we can’t afford it, with how much they cost. You’ll just have to deal with wearing glasses, like me and Ford.”

 

“Besides!” Mabel cut in after Stan. “You might not have to wear them forever. Maybe your eyes will get better.”

 

“And if they don’t?” I asked sullenly.

 

“Maybe when you get older and have enough money, you can get contacts then!” She answered. I forced myself to smile slightly, and looked up at Mabel, who had a sympathetic look on her face as she smiled back.

 

“Thanks, Mabel.” I then thought of Bill.

 

_Oh my god_

 

_Bill_

 

_No no no no no no no_

 

“Dipper?” Mabel asked, waving a hand in front of my face. “Why are you freaking out so much?”

 

“What’s Bill going to think when I come back wearing glasses?” I asked frantically. I pulled at my hair slightly. “Oh my god, what’s he going to say? What if he doesn’t like them? O-or doesn’t want to be around me anymore, or-” I cut myself off, blushing. Apparently Mabel knew what I was going to say next, because she giggled and wrapped her arm around me tighter.

 

“He’s not going to break up with you for wearing glasses, Dipper.” Upon hearing that sentence, Stan about burst out laughing.

 

“Oh my God, that’s hilarious,” He almost choked out. “You seriously think he would do that because you’re wearing glasses?”

 

“ _Shut up_ ,” I muttered, looking down at my lap as my face grew warmer. They laughed a little more before Mabel spoke again.

 

“We’re just teasing, you dork.” She punched my arm lightly. “Bill will still love you no matter what you look like, okay?” I just nodded, continuing to look down the rest of the way to the eye doctor’s.

 

~~~~~~~

 

“Dipper, come _on_ ,” Mabel whined, pulling on my arms to try to get me out of the car. Stan had already gone into the Mystery Shack, not wanting to get involved. She stomped her foot and huffed, letting go of my arms and crossing hers stubbornly. “Dipper, you can’t stay in here forever.”

 

“Yes I can.” I took a quick glance up at Mabel to see her rolling her eyes.

 

“You realize he’s waiting for you, right?” No answer. “He wants to see you.” No answer. She sighed dramatically.

 

“Fine, if _you_ won’t come in, then I’ll just have Bill come out _here_.” That made me look up, my eyes wide as fear went through me.

 

“No, nonononono don’t do that-”

 

“Bye Dipper~” She said before running up to the Shack. Panicking, I quickly shut the door, locking it before sliding down hopefully low enough so he wouldn’t see me.

 

_Ohmygodohmygodohmy-_

 

I suddenly heard the doors unlock, and I gasped, ducking my head down, knowing full well it was Bill. I heard him laugh to himself.

 

“Are you kidding me right now, Pine Tree?” He asked incredulously in an amused tone. “Look at me.”

 

“No.” I mumbled.

 

“Do I have to make you?”

 

“Bill, no-”

 

“Because you _know_ I can make you.” He interrupted.

 

“Please don’t-” Was all I got to say before I felt him grab both of my arms, making me yelp as he yanked me out of the car. I blushed when I felt my body hit his from the force of the pull. I grabbed his arms and yanked mine out of his grip, stepping back a few inches and looking down.

 

“I am going to see your face, whether you want me to or not.” He said sternly, cupping the bottom of my jaw as he tilted my head up. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see his reaction. I heard him sigh.

 

“Dipper, open your eyes.”  Reluctantly, I did as I was told, a blush apparent on my face as I saw his smirk. He chuckled, using his other hand to brush his fingers against my face lightly.

 

“Bill-” I tried, but he stopped me. His expression softened a little as he lowered his voice.

 

“You really think I wouldn’t want to be with you anymore just because you’re wearing glasses now?” I averted my gaze, my face hot when I figured Mabel must have told him everything I’d said in the car. Not wanting to say anything, I shook my head vaguely.

 

“Kid, please look at me.” Biting my lip, I turned my eyes back to his amazingly golden ones. A small smile appeared on his face before he placed a kiss to my temple.

 

“Tu vide venerandum, Dipper...” He murmured. “I still love you, even with glasses. Okay?” Despite myself, I smiled before finding courage and standing on my toes slightly- pressing a soft kiss to his lips for a few seconds, then resting my head against his chest. I could tell I surprised him, because he was quiet for a few seconds before he returned the hug, resting his chin on the top of my head as he laughed under his breath.

 

“I wish I could bring you to California with me…” I mumbled, holding him tighter. “I think I’d feel a little more confident that way.”

 

“You know I can’t leave Gravity Falls.” Bill said in a remorseful tone. “Or else I would. Besides, you’ll have your sister with you! I think you’ll be okay.” He said, trying to help me feel better.

 

“Having my sister there is nice, but it’d be better if my boyfriend could be there with me too.” I muttered.

 

“I’ll always be in Gravity Falls when you visit. And besides, isn’t this your last year of school? You’ll be able to see me whenever you want for as long as you want.” He said, a smile in his tone.

 

“I guess so.”

 

“You still have some summer left, so how about we go enjoy it before you have to leave?” He asked, pulling away with a grin, holding out his hand. I rolled my eyes, smiling before I grabbed hold of it.

 

“To be honest, I think you look more attractive with glasses.” He said with a sly grin. I blushed slightly, pushing him playfully.

  
“Shut up, Bill.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Tu vide venerandum- You look adorable, Dipper...


	23. Another A/N

Sorry about another a/n but I felt like venting because I've had a lot on my mind for months now, hope you guys don't mind

 

Okay so I haven't talked to my best friend in months and she hasn't really talked to me either 

And it makes me wonder if she still thinks of me as one of her best friends 

Which is making my depression kick in big time b/c I miss her a lot and I just can't get myself to talk to her first 

And idk why but I feel like a shítty friend and my anxiety is also vERY fúcking high fukc I hate myself so much 

Music usually helps me feel better but right now it's not really doing much and I haven't been getting much sleep and I'm getting frequent headaches from it

 

I'm sorry with how long it's taking me to post BillDip oneshots, but I just can't really think for myself at the moment

 

Hopefully I can get back to writing them soon

 

Again, sorry if I'm letting any of you down by keeping you waiting, I honestly don't mean to

 

Love you guys <3

~ **Midnite**


	24. A/N- 3k reads

Omg I love you guys so much seriously

Over 3,000 reads on here is amazing to me 

I honestly didn't think I'd get so many reads for my BillDip Oneshots on here thank you guys sso muhc omgfd asdfghjkl ;-;

<3<3<3<3<3

\----------Also I'm definitely feeling better than I did a month ago, hopefully I can get in the mood to write BillDip again and think of new ideas cuz I actually wanna write----------

(These BillDip Oneshots also have almost 11k reads on Wattpad and 18k reads on Quotev I am so happy about this)

~A very appreciative Midnite


	25. On Lock (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill hasn't been coming to visit Dipper and Dipper wants to find out why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about how long this took guys! A lot was going on but I think it's a little better now so hopefully I'll be able to post more of these in the future

This past week or two have been completely off for a lot of reasons. Though to only name a couple, I haven’t really been getting any sleep whatsoever- and I’m not sure as to why. I’ve been completely drained of energy and haven’t really felt like doing much of anything, though I sucked it up just so I could still help out with the Shack if it was needed.

 

I haven’t told anyone about my lack of sleep- but I’m guessing I don’t have to. They already seem to know, and give a worried kind of glance my way, but don’t ask me about it since they know it’s hard to get me to say anything if I don’t want to.

 

The other reason- the  _ main  _ reason- is Bill.

 

I’ve felt the need to constantly worry about him- and our relationship- because of what’s been happening, or, lack thereof. 

 

He hasn’t been coming to visit every day like he usually does, and he won’t tell me why when I see him in my dreams- which is the only time I can see him now for whatever reason only he knows.

 

I’ve also been feeling irritated about it, but mostly worried, because he never does something to make me worry about him this much.

 

I’ve decided that, tonight, when I’m able to get to sleep, I’m going to force him to tell me what’s going on, whether he wants to or not. Because I’m not sure how much longer I can take this.

  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


I opened my eyes slowly to let my eyes adjust to everything around me before slowly standing up, looking around me. 

 

He usually comes to me not too long after I enter the Dreamscape- it’s usually when I’m just walking around aimlessly with nothing to do. Which would seem to still be the case.

 

A few minutes after I start walking through the woods, I hear a voice beside me. 

 

“Is everything okay?” I rolled my eyes a little, not caring whether he saw it or not.

 

“What makes you ask if I’m okay?” I asked in return.

 

“I haven’t been seeing you here in the Dreamscape too often. Are you not getting enough sleep?” He asked, and I could hear the concern in his voice. I let out an irritated sigh as I halted completely, surprising him and making him turn around to face me and he shifted out of his demon form and into human.

 

“I don’t know, am I not getting enough sleep Bill?” I answered with sarcasm. He looked confused.

 

“Well, what’s the reason?” My expression turned into one that basically says ‘are-you-serious-right-now?’ before I answered.

 

“I figured you would’ve known by now.” He continued to look at me as if he were waiting for an answer. A noise of exasperation escaped me as I yelled. “You!  _ You’re  _ the reason I’m not getting any sleep!”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes! The reason I came here tonight was so I could ask what’s been going on with you lately. Why have you only been visiting me here? In the Dreamscape? Is there a reason you can’t physically visit me when I’m awake now?” 

 

He looked away for a moment before he sighed a little. “Dipper…”

 

“No. Tell me the reason you can’t.”

 

“I can’t tell you.” 

 

“Why not?” I asked somewhat sadly without meaning to. “I... thought you trusted me.” He frowned when he noticed the tone of my voice.

 

“It’s  _ nothing  _ like that Dipper. Of course I trust you... I wouldn’t have any reason  _ not  _ to.”

 

“Then why can’t you tell me what’s wrong?”

 

“I don’t want to make you upset.” I laughed under my breath as I shook my head slightly, crossing my arms.

 

“You don’t think I’m not that way already by you  _ not  _ telling me?” He sighed before running a hand through his hair.

 

“I realize that. But telling you would make you feel worse- and I don’t want to do that.”

 

“Pretty sure I’ll feel bad whether you tell me or not. I’ll worry about you constantly either way.”

 

“You don’t need to worry about me, kid.”

 

“You give me a  _ reason to _ .” I said in exasperation before I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him to me, surprising him a little again. “I love you way more than I should.” I then mumbled. His breath seemed to catch in his throat before he forced a quiet, shaky laugh.

 

“I love you too. More than I thought I would.”

 

“Then  _ please  _ tell me what’s wrong.” I begged. “I might not be as worried if you just tell me.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll still be just as concerned, but... Okay.” He sighed before backing away a little. “I can see you won’t stop until you know what’s going on.”

 

“You should know me by now.” I answered with a quick smirk. He rolled his eyes slightly.

 

“I know that. Alright, the reason I can’t visit you physically is because other demons have found out about you and I being together.” I gave a confused look.

 

“Okay..? And?” 

 

“They don’t like any kind of relationship with a human. The one who’s basically in charge asked to see me, and,” He laughed nervously. “He was furious. Wasn’t happy at all when he figured it out.”

 

“...What did he do?” I asked quietly, suddenly not sure if I wanted to know anymore. It was then I noticed that he had something around his neck. It looked like... “Is that a collar? With... a  _ lock  _ on it? Has that been on this whole time and I just didn’t notice?” He shook his head.

 

“It seems invisible when I’m in the dreamscape, but whenever I’m here I can make it appear again if I wanted to. I can’t say the same for the real world.” I was still confused.

 

“A collar is preventing you from leaving here? How?” 

 

“If I try to leave here and go to you in the real world, it sends shocks of pain throughout my body. And they worsen the longer I stay there. So... I’m sorry I haven’t been coming to visit.” He said wistfully. “You have no idea how much I want to leave this place, Dipper. I’ve tried to find ways around it but I haven’t had any luck.”

 

My face fell, and I tried not to cry, but with little to no luck as I felt tears in my eyes. I felt a tightness in my chest as I tried to speak again, my voice coming out in a whisper. “Oh…” 

 

“Now you see why I didn’t want to tell you.”

 

“No, it’s... I’m glad you told me.” I said with a forced smile. He crossed his arms, but the sad look didn’t leave his face.

 

“You don’t look happy. I didn’t  _ want  _ to tell you- I hate seeing you like this…”

 

“Do you think  _ not  _ telling me would’ve been any better?” He didn’t say anything. I sighed. “Exactly. Okay look, I’m going to try and see if I can find a way to help you visit me freely again.” 

 

“How are you gonna do that? There’s nothing in the journals that could help you Dipper.” He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. 

 

“Well... maybe Ford could help me.” I answered with a shrug. “I’m sure he’d be good at things like this.” Bill scoffed.

 

“Ford? Have you forgotten that he still hates me, and has for years? He definitely knows how to hold a grudge…” He muttered the last part under his breath.

 

“I’ll convince him somehow.”

 

“You’ll convince him to help me. Right.” He deadpanned. “I’d like to see how that’ll work.”

 

“Trust me.” I said with a quick smile. “It’s hard for him to say no to his nephew to anything.” 

He looked to the side, as if he were thinking about it.

 

“I don’t know kid... He’s pretty much dead set on never seeing me again.” I huffed in slight annoyance before grabbing either side of his face and pulling him close again so we were nose to nose, making him yelp a little in surprise.

 

“Bill, I  _ promise _ I will get that collar off of you, no matter  _ what  _ I have to do to make that happen. Alright?” He nodded slowly, speaking in a hushed tone.

 

“Alright…” 

 

My eyes closed as I brushed my mouth against his, letting out a shaky breath as I did so when he gasped quietly. 

  
“I promise…” I said again before I kissed him gently. 


	26. On Lock pt. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out to be 11 pages long with almost 3,000 words holy shit ;o;  
> This part is longer than I thought it'd be hah

As Bill had guessed, Ford wanted nothing to do with helping him. But I wasn’t one to give up easily, so I pressed forward. Bill wanted to see for himself whether or not this would work, so he tagged along only in my mind, with that being the only way he could be with me while I was awake.

 

“What happened with you two is in the past-”

 

“What he did was a terrible thing, Dipper.” He interrupted, making me sigh in irritation. I crossed my arms, and waited for him to finish. “He betrayed my trust, how do I- or you for that matter- know he won’t do it again just because he’s with you? He’s a demon Dipper, they don’t change that easily. They also tend to not love anybody except themselves.”

 

‘ _ See? I knew he wouldn’t change his mind for me.’ _

 

‘I’ll change it somehow.’ I answered so only he could hear. I could actually  _ feel  _ him rolling his eyes as he scoffed.

 

_ ‘He’s stuck in the past, Dipper.’ _

 

‘I thought you trusted me to do this?’ I asked, mentally sending a questioning look.

 

_ ‘Fine. Continue your conversation with him. I’ll be listening.’  _ I shook my head a little before returning my attention to my uncle.

 

“He’s a demon, sure. It took  _ me  _ a while to be able to trust him, and you know how hard it can be for me to trust anyone. After spending more time with him, I’ve noticed he’s gotten better- he might not have changed fully, but he’s a  _ lot  _ better than he was a few years ago. You’ve got to believe me when I say that, Uncle Ford.” I added in a more pleading tone. 

 

“How do you know he truly loves you and isn’t faking it?” He crossed his arms, sighing a little. “Dipper, I just don’t want you to get hurt, especially by Bill.” 

 

_ ‘Oh, come on. Is he serious right now?’  _ He asked in an unbelieving tone.

 

‘Just hold on.’ I answered firmly.

 

_ ‘If you say so Pines.’ _

 

“I asked myself that question at first. But if you really get to know him, and notice everything he does, you can tell it’s real. If you want, you could even use a truth spell on him just to prove it.” I could feel Bill’s mood go up at this, and a ghost of a smile crossed his face.

 

_ ‘You must seriously love me if you’re saying that to  _ **_Ford_ ** _ of all people.’  _

 

‘I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t.’ I answered back with a small smile.

 

He took a deep breath, sighing. He was quiet for a few seconds before he decided to speak. “Alright. I...  _ suppose  _ I could find something to fix this.” I couldn’t stop the grin that appeared suddenly at the answer, and I hugged him.

 

“Thank you so much, Uncle Ford. I knew you would help.” He smiled and chuckled slightly in return.

 

“Okay, okay. But just know that I’m only doing this for  _ you _ , Dipper.” I nodded.

 

“I understand.”

 

“Okay then, let’s get to work.”

  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


_ ‘I’m still surprised that he even gave you a chance to do this.’  _ Bill said after being relatively quiet the past few days.

 

‘In a way, he’s giving  _ you  _ a chance too. To prove yourself, I suppose.’ I then smirked and laughed a little. ‘Told you he couldn’t say no to me.’ He rolled his eyes a little before eventually smiling again.

 

_ ‘Can it, kid. It’s not that I didn’t believe you.’ _

 

‘You just weren’t sure if he was going to agree because of what happened years ago?’’

 

_ ‘You could say that.’ _

 

‘His opinion of you could change, you know.’ His mood suddenly went back down before he sighed quietly.

 

_ ‘If only you were right about that... I doubt it’ll change any time soon.’  _ Not knowing what to say to argue against him, I returned my attention to the charm that Ford helped me make. We didn’t exactly have what we needed to make a necklace, but Ford says a charmed bracelet works just as well with the spell he used on it.

 

“Will he be okay?” I asked him, knowing he would understand what I meant. He placed a hand on my shoulder in reassurance and smiled a little.

 

“Trust me, it should work. The collar should be able to be taken off as soon as the bracelet is placed around his wrist. It’ll break the spell that bonds him to his world, allowing him to be here whenever he wants.”

 

_ ‘Wait, is he serious? It’ll really work?’  _ Bill asked in a hopeful tone. 

 

‘He’s completely serious.’ I answered with a smile. Ford looked at me questioningly.

 

“Dipper, quick question... Have you been talking to him this whole time?”

 

Confused, I tried to speak. “How would you…”

 

“I’ve dealt with him before, remember? I also kind of figured he’d want to hear from me if I’d help, am I right?” He smirked slightly. “Also, you’ve kind of zoned out quiet a few times while helping me make this.”

 

_ ‘Somehow this doesn’t surprise me.’  _ Bill said, laughing quietly.  _ ‘Of course he would know I’m here.’ _

 

My face flushed a little from embarrassment. “Yeah, he’s... talking to me now.” 

 

“He is.” Ford stated, not in a questioning voice, but as if he’s stating the obvious. “So he knows what we made?” I nodded.

 

_ ‘Well, duh. I  _ **_can_ ** _ see too you know, even through your mind.’ _

 

“He says yes, he knows.”

 

_ ‘That isn’t what I said.’ _

 

‘That is actually what you said, just in a different way.’

 

“What’s he saying to you?” Ford asked.

 

_ ‘He doesn’t have to know what I’m saying.’ _

 

“He’s arguing with me over something stupid.” Bill snorted, and I could tell he crossed his arms in annoyance.

 

_ ‘Unbelievable. That’s what you are.’  _ I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, surprising Ford a little and annoying Bill more.

 

‘Are we really still doing this?’ I asked in a bored tone, but enjoying it nonetheless.

 

_ ‘Shut up.’  _ He muttered.

 

‘I love you?’ I tried somewhat sheepishly to try and stop the arguing. It took him a few seconds to respond with what sounded like an over dramatic sigh.

 

_ ‘You’re  _ **_lucky_ ** _ that I love you too, Pine Tree.’  _

 

“That I am.” I said out loud in a quiet voice, smiling. Ford looked confused again but didn’t ask.

 

“Alright, for this to work, he’s going to have to do something that he probably doesn’t want to do.”

 

_ ‘No.’ _

 

‘Bill?’ I asked, confused. ‘Everything okay?’

 

_ ‘I  _ **_can’t_ ** _ do what he’s thinking of Dipper.’  _ He sounded as if he was... scared? Ford spoke up, as if he’d heard what both Bill and I were thinking.

 

“He may not want to do this, but he may not have a choice if he wants to physically be with and see you again.”

 

_ ‘You have no idea how painful it is to be where you are.’ _

 

Feeling concerned, I asked “Could that thing around his neck kill him if he’s here long enough?”

 

“If we aren’t quick enough, then maybe. If he’s able to stay still long enough for us to put the bracelet on, he should be okay.”

 

‘Can you do that Bill?’ He laughed, sounding like a mixture of disbelief and fear.

 

_ ‘Pretty much impossible. Does he have any idea what happens if I were to try and get to you?’ _

 

To be honest, I was definitely feeling more and more concerned for him. ‘...What would happen?’

 

_ ‘This collar is supposed to keep me  _ **_here_ ** _ , in my world. Not only would it cause pain to me if I tried going to the real world, it would also try sending me back.’ _

 

‘Which means what exactly?’

 

_ ‘Basically, I would start glitching in and out between worlds. Making what Ford said I should do pretty difficult. How can he expect me to stay perfectly still?’ _

 

‘We’ll do what we can, alright?’ He stayed silent. 

 

“I’m assuming he’s not happy about it.” I sighed, shaking my head slightly. “He can hear me, right?”

 

“Yeah... why?”

 

“Cipher, I know you don’t like this, and I know we don’t exactly get along, but you need to do this. If not for yourself, then for Dipper.” That made Bill suddenly pay attention again. He still didn’t say anything though, which prompted Ford to continue. “If you love him like you say you do, then you would at least  _ try  _ to do this regardless of what might happen. For him. If I agreed to help him,  _ despite _ the fact I  _ still  _ have ill feelings towards you, then doing this shouldn’t be too difficult for you.”

 

If that didn’t change his mind, then surely what I said to him did. 

 

‘Bill, please…’ I pleaded almost desperately. ‘I need you  _ here _ .’ 

 

_ ‘ _ **_Alright_ ** _ ,’  _ He finally answered, giving in- though he sounded nervous. _ ‘Okay, Dipper. I’ll try. Might hurt a little but I’ll try because I really want to see you again.’  _ I smiled mentally before nodding to Ford.

 

“He said he’s going to try.” He nodded in return and gestured towards the door.

 

“Let’s go outside just in case anything happens.”

  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


“Is he ready?”

 

‘Bill?’ I asked. He sighed a little, still sounding as nervous as ever.

 

_ ‘I’m good to go I suppose…’  _ I turned towards Ford, giving a slight nod.

 

“I’m assuming you know the incantation by heart at this point.” Feeling my face heating up again, I nodded.

 

“Y-yeah…” 

 

He chuckled at my response when he saw the tinge of red on my face. “Alright. When you’re ready then.”

 

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before readying myself. 

 

“ _ Triangulum, entangulum  _

_ Meteforis dominus ventium _

_ Meteforis venetisarium! _ ”

 

Within seconds, Bill started to appear. And seconds after he’d appeared (though in demon form at first before he quickly switched to his human form), he started screaming out in pain. He fell to his knees, closing his eyes as he clawed at the thing on his neck in desperation. Just as he’d told me, he started glitching sporadically as he struggled to look at me. His voice even sounded off, like it was broken.

 

“H̶͞u̴͘͠͞r̡̧͟͝ŗ̵̵͠͡y̡͏́̕͞ ̧̡ą̸͜͞ņ͢͟d̨͞ ̸̶̴͢͞d̸̢͞͠o͢͝ ́́͟͟ẃ̶h̵̛̀͞a̷̢͏t̸̸̛͟͞ ̶́͟͝͠y̛̕o̴̵̕ų̵̶͟ ̴̀̕ḩ͝ą̵̛͡v̷̡̀͘e͏̸͞҉ ̨́͟t̷̡́͞͝o̢͟ ̢̀҉̡͠d̶͜͜͜͠ơ̷̧̢̧.” He said before speaking again. “ _ P̀l͞͏̶ę҉̛͝a̕͞s͘̕͡͝e̷̴̸͟͠ _ .”

 

I gave Ford an apprehensive glance before running over with the bracelet. He stuck his arm out as quickly as he could when I got close enough. I hurried and slipped it on his wrist, making sure it didn’t come off in any way and standing back. He was still glitching, so I reached for the collar on his neck, gasping when I felt his arms wrap around me tightly.

 

“D̀̕̕͢͝i͢͡͡͞p̷̧͏ṕ͢͟e̢͟r҉̶͠͞͏.̴̵͞͠͠.̸̸̡̕͏.̨” He whispered desolately. His touch made my skin tingle, though not in a good way. I bit my lip, feeling just as pained as he did at the moment, before reaching for his neck.

 

“Hold on,” I answered quietly just as I undid the clip on the collar, throwing it as far away as I possibly could before hugging him back just as tightly- as if he were going to disappear from me at any moment. I closed my eyes, feeling tears threaten to escape as he gripped my shirt, shaking immensely as he let out a quivering breath.

 

“I’m s-so sorry Dipper... I’m s-sorry I didn’t tell you about this sooner…” 

 

“I-it’s okay... you’re okay, t-that’s all that matters right now…” 

 

Probably not caring that Ford was watching- either that or he forgot- he let out a noiseless sob as tears fell from his eyes. I opened my eyes to look at Ford over Bill’s shoulder to see a sad smile on his face. He nodded slightly before turning to go back inside. I felt a sense of appreciation- it’s as if he knew we would need some time alone.

 

“Missed you…” Bill mumbled into my shirt. I laughed breathlessly.

 

“Missed you too, Bill.” He laughed happily before looking at me, tears still staining his face, though ignoring them as he kissed me needily, a content sigh leaving his lips as he did so.

 

“So glad I don’t have to wait until you’re asleep to do this.” He said in a hushed tone. I found myself smiling a little.

 

“Me too. It’s  _ much  _ better to kiss you in person.” I answered, my lips still brushing against his. Smirking slightly- he laughed again- one of the few sounds that made my heart flutter every time I heard it. I could listen to it my entire life and not get tired of it.

 

“Something we agree on.” He breathed before kissing me again.

  
  


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  
  


It was a little while before we ourselves headed inside, spotting Ford in the kitchen as we walked in. He looked up from what he was doing, and stood before walking over to Bill and I. He had a sad, knowing kind of expression on his face as he spoke.

 

“Look, Bill... I know I’m not as easily forgiving as my nephew here, but even I can see that he was telling the truth about you.” Bill snorted, rolling his eyes slightly but otherwise keeping to himself. Ford sighed before he started rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“I just wanted to say that... I’m sorry I haven’t given you any kind of chance before now. It took Dipper here to realize that people actually  _ can  _ change for the better in time. I was hoping that maybe, over time, we could work on fixing our friendship. If you’ll forgive me, that is.” He added with an apologetic smile. Bill’s hand went to his chin in a thoughtful expression, humming as he pretended to think it over. He smirked before reaching his hand out.

 

“Deal.”

 

Ford laughed a little before returning the handshake. “Though it _might_ take me some time to get over what happened in the past, I wouldn’t mind having you as one of my good friends again.” Bill added. “You’re lucky I’ve turned out to be a little more forgiving than I was back then.”

 

“ _ Well _ , look who’s here.” We heard someone call out- that someone being Grunkle Stan. He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed with a smile on his face, as well as a raised brow. “Good to have you back Cipher.” 

 

“Did I just hear Bill’s back?” Mabel shouted from the top of the stairs. It didn’t take long before we heard footsteps running down the stairs and into the kitchen with a huge grin on her face. “It  _ is _ you!” She exclaimed excitedly before she gave Bill a bone crushing hug, making him yelp and squirm slightly in her grasp. He returned the hug, though not as intensely as my sister before he laughed.

 

“It’s good to see you too, Shooting Star. You too, Stanley.” He said, nodding to Grunkle Stan in response to his greeting. “Could you... let me go now? I kinda can’t... breathe... at the moment…” He looked at me for help. I rolled my eyes before chuckling.

 

“Mabel,  _ release  _ the struggling demon.” She pouted before letting go, though she still seemed happy nonetheless at his presence.

 

“Sorry. We missed you Bill! It was pretty boring around here without you, what with Dipper not doing or saying very much.”

 

“I have to agree with Mabel on that.” Grunkle Stan said. “It  _ was  _ pretty quiet around here what with him moping around all day.”

 

“I did  _ not  _ mope!” I argued.

 

“What would  _ you  _ call it then?” 

 

“Working?”

 

“Yeah, because staring off into space is considered working nowadays.” He answered sarcastically with a smirk, which made Bill- and Ford- laugh. I huffed as a slight blush spread across my face. Noticing this, Bill pulled me into a side hug- pressing a kiss to the top of my head- which didn’t help my blush, instead increasing it.

 

“You’re not helping.” 

 

“You’re adorable when you’re pouting.” He murmured so only I could hear.

 

“Am not.” I muttered indignantly, which made him chuckle in response.

 

“You are to me regardless of what you say to argue against it.” I groaned vaguely before burying my face into his shoulder to hide my blush. 

 

“I hate you.”

 

“Love you too, Pine Tree!” He said cheerfully.

 

“Shut  _ up _ , Bill.” I whined. I heard Mabel ‘aww’ at this, though I didn’t turn to look at her.

 

“You two are just  _ adorable _ , oh my gosh!” 

 

“ _ Oookay _ , we’re going to my room now. Let’s go, Bill.”

 

“But we just got here-”

 

“ _ Now _ .” 

 

“Alright, let’s go.” He said, raising his hands a little in surrender. I sighed before grabbing his wrist and started heading towards the stairs.

 

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret later!” Grunkle Stan called out. 

 

“ _ Oh my God,  _ **_please_ ** stop talking.” I complained before I quickened my pace. As I closed my door and turned to face Bill, I noticed the shit-eating grin that was now on his face. I glared at him in return.

 

“You’d better wipe that grin off your face before I do it myself.” He burst out laughing in response.

 

“ _ Oh  _ **_no_ ** , what ever will you do to make me stop, Pine Tree? Are you gonna kiss me?” My whole face burned as I forced out an answer.

 

“If that’s what it takes, then yes.”

 

“That’s the  _ only  _ way to make me stop laughing at you for being adorable on the way up here.”

 

“I am  _ not  _ adorable!” I whined in annoyance. “ _ Please _ stop calling me that.”

 

“Why don’t you make me?” He said as he smirked widely. I sighed before I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulling him close before pressing my lips to his- Bill letting out a hum of pleasure in response.

 

“You’re lucky I love you, you know.” I mumbled in between kisses, quoting what he’d said to me earlier. He grinned in response.

  
“I know.”


	27. Dipper's Desolation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I feel like the beginning/middle of this sucks since I wasn't really thinking too much about it  
> The way Dipper feels in this is basically how I was kinda feeling before writing it last night   
> I'm not feeling as down as last night though so that's an improvement for now)
> 
> (This is basically talking about depression and how it can make me, or other people, feel at times)
> 
> (If anyone knows the song Bill references towards the end I'll give you a cookie ^-^)

_“You okay, bro-bro? You seem kinda down.”_

 

_“You know you can always tell me if there’s something wrong, right?”_

 

_“You haven’t left the the house, let alone your room. Maybe getting out will help you feel a little better.”_

 

“ _Oh, I know! We could maybe send you down with your Grunkle Stan for a while. Going to Gravity Falls seems to make you feel better.”_

 

It wouldn’t hurt to try they said.

 

You’ll feel like yourself in no time they said.

 

Spending some time away from home will make it better they said. It’ll go away eventually.

 

Little did my parents and sister know, that haunting feeling that I felt at home in California seemed to follow me all the way to Oregon.

 

Grunkle Stan was already informed of the situation beforehand, so the moment I arrived he had Wendy and Soos come over to try to get me up and moving so I wouldn’t immediately retreat to my room.

 

As soon as Wendy saw me, she gave a reassuring smile before giving a quick hug, also ruffling my hair a little. Trying to not feel annoyed at my friend, I snatched my hat back- placing it on my head once again. She didn’t seem to notice the slight change in attitude- though if she did, she didn’t mention it.

 

“Ready to go to the arcade?” She asked. I shrugged, not really feeling like giving a straight answer, but not wanting to be rude and ignore her altogether. Assuming she took that as an ‘okay’, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside to her truck she had gotten a few years back. Wordlessly, I opened the (slightly squeaky) door and stepped in, taking a seat next to Wendy, who seemed eager to get out of here as soon as possible.

 

On the way to the arcade, I leaned against the door as I looked out the window- watching the trees and buildings pass by as music played in the background.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The trip to the arcade seemed to be a bust, as the whole time we were there, I didn’t make any kind of move from the entrance, instead choosing to stay in a shadowy area- leaning against a wall while watching Wendy. Though she tried to convince me to play, nothing she did seemed to work. Sighing, I looked down at my feet, and hoped that, soon, I would get to go back to the Mystery Shack and lock myself in my room like I planned to do when I first got here.

 

Knowing that she at least _tried_ to get me to play _some_ thing, she offered to take me home in what sounded like a dejected tone.

 

Before letting me out of the truck, she turned to give me one last hug, this one lasting longer than the last before letting go.

 

“I hope whatever’s got you feeling down goes away soon, Dip. I don’t like seeing you look so detached from everything.” She placed her hand on my shoulder as she smiled slightly. “Feel better. For me, okay?”

 

Though still not answering, I nodded in response, forcing a small smile before exiting the truck and going back inside. As I opened the front door, I turned back to see a sort of sad look on Wendy’s face before she disappeared from sight minutes later down the road.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A few days later, Soos also tried to get me out of the house to try and do something fun, but pretty much had the same results as Wendy had. He gave me the same, sad look as Wendy had before turning to head out the door, assumingly back home.

 

To keep me from sulking around the whole day, Grunkle Stan had me do some chores around the shack, like sweeping, or dusting off certain things. He even had me work the register at some point- I finished everything he asked me to do without an ounce of emotion whatsoever.

 

Sighing, he sent me up to my room about halfway through the day- probably feeling like he had tried everything he could to help.

 

Whatever activity I tried to do didn’t make me feel better in any way, shape or form. The feeling that I’d arrived here with seemed insistent to stick with me the entire time, leaving me feeling empty and constantly tired.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

After spending a few hours in my room alone, I suddenly felt the slight change in atmosphere as another presence made itself known. I didn’t even have to look up to know who was here, though I did anyways.

 

I looked up at Bill, who was currently in regular demon form. He floated effortlessly towards me, stopping a few feet in front of me. Although he wasn’t very good as showing emotion in this form, I could see a hint of worry.

 

“This is the quietest you’ve been since I’ve met you, kid.”

 

No answer. My expression stayed the same- void of any sort of emotion. Sighing, he made his way over to my bed before sitting on the edge.

 

“You know I’m not very good with this ‘comforting’ thing. I _would_ like to know what’s wrong with you, though, and why you’re acting this way.”

 

Still no answer. Looking as if he were biting back a snarky comment, he closed his eye for a second, and rubbed at (where I assumed was) his temple.

 

“You have to talk sometime, kid.”

 

Silence.

 

“Would you _please_ talk to me?” He said in annoyance. “Look, I even said please! And how often do I say something like that?”

 

Nothing, except a slight irritation at the fact that he wouldn’t go away and _leave me alone_.

 

“Look, as much as I love listening to my own voice, I would appreciate it if I weren’t having a one sided conversation right now. I came here to talk to you.”

 

“Maybe I don’t _want_ to talk to you.” I snapped, my irritation growing the longer he stayed. “Maybe I just want to be left alone. Is that too much to ask?”

 

Looking surprised that I even spoke up, he glared at me.

 

“Okay, I have done _nothing_ to deserve this attitude from you. I only want to help you.”

 

“I don’t _need_ help. What I _do_ need is to be left alone.”

 

“Clearly. Because you always want to be left alone and not talk to anyone, right?” I scoffed, giving him a glare to match his.

 

“Could you just leave already? You’re not helping any by being here.”

 

He suddenly switched into his human form, and I could now see the frustration on his face, along with a twinge of worry.

 

“Not talking won’t make you feel better.”

 

“And how would you know that?”

 

“I don’t know about you, but it’s pretty obvious to me that keeping to yourself only makes it worse.”

 

“Do you have any sort of experience to prove that?” I shook my head, letting out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. “Look, Bill, I’m fine okay? Really.”

 

“Lying isn’t good for you either.”

 

“I’m not! I’m fine, honestly.”

 

“No you’re not.”

 

“I am-!”

 

“Dipper.” He interrupted, silencing me instantly. My chest ached at his worried expression (I mean, how often did he get worried over anything), guilt clawing it’s way out of me as my eyes started to burn.

 

“I..I-I’m…” My body trembled as I held back every emotion that had seemed to plague me for weeks. I let out a shaky breath, watching as he looked at me expectantly, eyebrow raised. I wrapped my arms around myself to try and stop myself from shaking so badly- though it didn’t seem to help any. I bit my lip as a quiet whimper escaped me, which in turn made me pull my knees up to my chest and back up against the wall.

 

“Kid?” He asked, his voice suddenly gentle as he moved closer. My lip trembled as a tear escaped.

 

“I-I’m _not okay_ _Bill_.” I forced out, my voice cracking with sudden emotion washing over me. “I’m really not okay.”

 

Sighing again, he grabbed my arms, pulling me into him in a hug. I gasped lightly, but didn’t think anymore of it as I gripped onto him as tightly as possible before letting out a sob, the tears now falling freely down my face. I hadn’t realized how much I needed something like this until now.

 

“I’m not okay, I’m not okay, I’m not okay…” I kept saying over and over, though to Bill or myself I wasn’t quite sure.

 

Though shorter than me by a few inches, he was able to rest his chin on top of my head as he held me, occasionally rubbing circles on my back to try and comfort me.

 

“Suus 'Licuit…” He repeated constantly in a hushed tone, not once letting go for anything. I calmed slightly when I heard him revert to his native language almost instinctively- my heart warming a little at how tranquil he sounded at the moment.

 

“Hey, Bill?” I asked, my voice scratchy from crying.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Can... could you maybe, ah... sing? I-if you d-don’t mind…” He laughed a little, sounding light hearted.

 

“Would me singing help you feel better?” I nodded, my face flushed.

 

“I-it uh... maybe. Yeah.” He laughed again, more to himself this time before answering.

 

“Alright. I can do that. Any particular song?” I shook my head slightly.

 

“Not really. You can sing the first one that comes to mind.”

 

“Very well then. Just let me think for a minute…” He then took a few seconds to himself, most likely trying to think of something he actually knows. As soon as he started singing, which was just quiet enough for me to hear, I let my eyes flutter shut. Though he started to hum the beginning, I could feel myself growing slightly tired as he started to sing at a random point, feeling content.

 

“ _Keep smiling through,_

_Just like you always do_

_Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away…_ ”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Without even realizing it, I had fallen asleep. When- I wasn’t exactly sure. What I _was_ sure of was the fact that Bill and I seemed to be cuddling now instead of sitting up like we were earlier. His eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping- though I knew better. He almost never needed any kind of sleep to function properly, unless of course he wanted to.

 

I felt as though I shouldn’t make any sort of sound to let him know I was awake, as I didn’t want to disturb the quiet of the room.

 

“I can sense that you’re awake, you know.” He said, and without even looking I could tell he was smirking slightly at the fact that I was now blushing a little. “Dream demon, remember?”

 

“Uh, right.” I answered, feeling only a little embarrassed. “I didn’t, um... You weren’t sleeping too, were you?”

 

“You didn’t wake me up if that’s what you’re asking. Not feeling particularly tired today.” I laughed a little as I snuggled up closer to him. He didn’t seem to mind.

 

“Bill?” He hummed in response to show he’d heard me. “T...thank you. Y’know, for... this. Making me feel better.”

 

“Of course! Anything for my favorite Pine Tree.”

 

“What, you have more than one?” I teased lightly, looking up in time to see him rolling his eyes- a hint of a smile appearing.

 

“I might. Then again, I might not.”

 

“I’m glad you’re able to put up with me when I’m like this.”

 

“I’m glad you put up with me in general.” He said with a laugh before hugging me close. “Really, it’s no problem kid. I’ve dealt with worse. I’m sure I can handle you.”

 

“Well, thank you. Again.” I closed my eyes, blushing before lowering my voice. “I love you, Bill…”

 

He was silent for a moment before I heard his breath hitch.

 

“I... no one’s ever said that to me before…” He seemed genuinely surprised before he forced a chuckle. I looked up at him to see a blush creep onto his face. “Forgive my lack of a reaction. I, ah... I love you too, kid. A lot. Well... as much as a demon _can_ love someone, anyways.”

 

“Well, that’s good. I was afraid you weren’t going to say anything.” He scoffed playfully.

 

“Me? _Quiet_? Keep dreaming, kid.” I couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“Right.”

 

“Do you still want me to leave?”

 

“I don’t, actually. I’d prefer you stay here so we can keep cuddling.” He smirked before pressing a light kiss to the top of my head.

 

“You’re lucky I’m comfortable and don’t have anywhere I need to be.” I grinned.

 

“Yeah, yeah. Now shut up and cuddle, corn chip.” He snickered before answering.

  
“Alright then Dipstick.”


	28. 18th Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Hey guys! Sorry this took a bit- writer's block is a serious pain heh
> 
> Also, I felt like writing this because my birthday was on the 30th. I turned, if you couldn't guess by the title of this oneshot, 18 ^^
> 
> And there's a bit of Latin- not much- but I'll put the translations at the end! (Hopefully they're correct, I used Google Translate lmao)
> 
> There's also a song that goes with this if you'd like to give it a listen! I'll put a * where it would start (The song is Slow Dance by Thomas Smith)

I sighed as I adjusted the bow tie on my tux, frowning slightly as I looked into the mirror. I ran my fingers through my mess of hair, knowing full well that not even combing it will help now.

 _'Too bad Mabel won't let me wear my hat...'_ I thought to myself solemnly. _'Why do we have to have a formal party for our birthday anyways?'_

I jumped when I heard a knock on the door, then relaxed when I saw that it was only Mabel. She smiled widely as she made her way towards me. I'll admit, her dress _was_ pretty stunning. And poofy. And sparkly.

Typical Mabel.

She clasped her hands together excitedly. "You look a- _mazing_ bro-bro! You ready?"

I rubbed the back of my neck as I looked to the side. "I mean... I guess." I looked back towards her, letting my hand fall back to my side. "Why couldn't we just have a normal party though? You know I hate wearing a tuxedo."

She huffed and rolled her eyes before crossing her arms. "Be _cause_ we're turning 18 today Dipper! We're officially adults now, we need to _dress_ like adults if we're going to have a party!"

"You know parties aren't exactly my thing."

"Well suck it up! And don't be a party pooper Have _fun_. " She added sternly, pointing a finger at me. Her stern look disappeared as she grinned again. "I mean it Dipper. Now let's _go!_ We have a party to get to."

Shaking my head, I smiled to myself as I followed her out of the bathroom.

~~~~~~

To say that I was surprised would be an understatement.

I couldn't help as I stopped in the doorway, staring at all the people that came, and were still coming through the door. Mabel noticed I stopped, and turned around to give me a funny look.

"You okay? _Earth to_ _Dipperrrr_." She tried, waving a hand in front of my face. Blinking, I focused on her... then back to the party-goers. Then back at Mabel.

"H-how... How do you _know_ this many _people_ Mabel? This is insane! This is way more people than last time." I asked incredulously. "I don't even know this many people."

She just grinned again before laughing. "Okay so, _maybe_ I had Paz invite some of her friends. And they invited their friends. And so on. Uh... yeah! That's it." I scoffed in disbelief, taking a step or two back.

"T-this is way too many people for me to handle." I felt myself start to shake a little as my heart slammed against my rib-cage. "I can handle _some_ people, but this? No way. Not happening Mabel."

She seemed to noticed my slightly panicked state, and smiled gently, patting my shoulder.

"You'll be okay Dip Dop, I promise. If you need anything, just find me okay? I know this is a lot of people- _I_ wasn't even expecting this many. But I know you can do this." I let out a shaky breath as her hand left my shoulder, and she gave me one last smile before she made her way into the swarm of people- probably to find Pacifica.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.

_In, out, in, out. Relax. Just. Relax._

Sighing, I opened my eyes as I spoke to myself. "Okay... you're okay. You're fine Dipper..." I kept repeating this to myself in my head as I walked over to the snack table, and grabbing a soda from the cooler swiftly before going into a corner and leaning against the wall to people watch.

~~~~~~

After a while, I decided that being in the same room with _who knows_ how many people was getting to be too much. I also needed more room to myself, and my own air to breath.

Though, each room I checked seemed to be full of people, or at least smaller groups of them. Huffing, and hugging my arms around myself, I made my way to the back porch where, thankfully, there were no people in sight. I sighed in relief when the cool night air hit my face, cooling me down drastically. At least out here I could actually think.

Sitting in the sofa, I stared out into the darkness of the forest, seeing nothing but the shadows of the trees, and the moon in the sky. I didn't even look, seeing as how I wasn't really paying attention, to the sound of the door opening and closing quietly- assuming it was probably just Mabel or some other person from the party. Though as soon as they spoke, I jumped slightly when I recognized the voice.

"I figured I'd find you out here by yourself." When I looked up, I saw the face that matched with the voice I've heard many times. Bill, at this time, smirked at my reaction before chuckling to himself. "May I?" He asked, gesturing towards the empty space beside me. Not even having to think about it, I nodded- still admiring the golden suit he adorned, and also not feeling surprised in the least at his choice of color.

"U-um, y... yeah. Go ahead." Smirk widening slightly, he sat down. "W-what..." I cleared my throat awkwardly, blushing a little. "Why are you here?"

Laughing quietly, he raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you not want me here?"

I shook my head. "No, no. I mean... I didn't mean it that way, I swear."

"Relax, I know what you meant kid. I'm here because of that thing humans do. You're celebrating the day you were born, aren't you? By 'throwing a party'?"

Letting out a breath, I hummed in affirmation. "Yeah. Well, Mabel is anyways. I'm not much for parties."

"You never were." He said in return, looking out into the forest and crossing his arms over his chest. "You like having time to yourself- I don't blame you. I'm like that most of the time. Gives you time to think." Without looking away, he smiled slightly. "You're 18 now, right?" I nodded, sneaking a peek at him. He didn't seem to notice.

"So that makes you an adult then. Am I right?" I hummed in response. He became quiet after that. Confused, I sat up and looked over at him. He continued to look into the forest, oblivious as he continued to smile. I could feel my heart beating faster as I grew slightly nervous.

"Bill?"

"Yes?" He asked, feigning curiosity as he finally looked towards me, his golden eyes seemingly glowing in the darkness. I bit down on my lip a little.

"Were you going to say something else after that?" He was quiet for a few more seconds as his smile broadened slightly.

"Maybe. Maybe not." I rolled my eyes before turning my attention towards the sky.

"Okay, since you want to know. I may have gotten you something for your birthday." I quickly looked back over at him.

"Oh. Y-you really didn't have to..."

"I know." He said gently, smirking ever so slightly. "But I wanted to. I gave Star something too. Absolutely loved it." He added with a quiet laugh.

"What exactly did you give her?"

"Something similar to what I'm going to give to you. Close your eyes."

Trusting him, I closed my eyes. I was a little confused when he reached around my neck. Assuming he was finished, I opened my eyes.

"A necklace?" I asked, even though I knew it was. He nodded, humming in affirmation. I looked down, in awe as I saw what looked like a blue necklace with stars on the inside that seemed to twinkle as I moved it around between my fingers. Curious, I held it up a little and smiled as more seemed to appear and even move around.

"I-it's amazing, Bill. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

 *****   "I figured you would like it." He said cheerfully. He then turned his head slightly when new music started playing from the inside of the shack, albeit more quiet from out here. He stood up, holding his hand out, a gracious smile on his face. I raised an eyebrow, to which he rolled his eyes.

"Couples dance to slow songs like this, don't they?" A blush crept up into my cheeks as I stuttered.

"I-I don't..."

"Oh come on, Pine Tree. Just one dance? Please?" I sighed, giving in to his request and grabbing his hand, letting him pull me up to my feet. He led me away from the shack a few feet, a good ways away from the stack of logs that still needed to be chopped soon, but still near enough to hear the music.

"Like I said, I don't know what I'm doing Bill." He smirked as he pulled me a bit closer.

"No worries. I can show you. Here." He grabbed one of my hands and placed it on his shoulder. He held the other in one hand while the other went to my back. "Just follow my lead, okay? You'll be sure to get the hang of it quickly." I nodded, still a little unsure.

"Ready? Go left. Step. Right. Step. Left. Step." He stopped talking, though continued to lead in the dance, even spinning us slowly in a circle. My eyes stayed focused on his the whole time. He grinned. "See? Told you you'd get the hang of this, kid."

"Yeah..." I answered, probably sounding a little distracted, focusing more on his facial features than to what he was actually saying.

"Have you been paying attention to what I've been saying at all?" He asked, laughing, though he didn't stop dancing. "Or are you paying attention to something else?"

"Y-yeah! I, ahh..." I tried to say, but failing. I looked away as my face heated up again. "S-sorry, Bill."

"Deus, tu es venerandum..." He murmured before he laughed again quietly. "It's okay, Dipper."

~~~~~~

Even after the song had ended, we were still dancing. Though now, I was hugging him with my head in the crook of his neck, with him hugging me close as well.

"Happy birthday, Pine Tree." He mumbled, though I could still practically hear the smile in his voice.

"Gratias, Bill." I answered with a smile of my own.

"I love it when you speak Latin." He then laughed under his breath. "Your pronunciation for some of the words needs some work though."

"Oh shush. I _am_ working on it."

"I could always help you, you know."

"Noted." I answered with slight sarcasm. I closed my eyes as I took in a breath. "You know I love you, right? Probably more than I should..." I said in an almost whisper. He was quiet for a little while before I heard another quiet laugh.

"...I do, yeah. You're the only person who does." He moved slightly so that I was looking at him again. He let out an unsteady breath, licking his lips as they stopped mere inches away from mine. "Te quoque amo, Dipper Pines." He whispered before kissing me.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations-
> 
> Deus, tu es venerandum- God, you are adorable
> 
> Gratias- Thanks
> 
> Te quoque amo...- I love you too


	29. A Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel decides that Dipper needs a night out to relax. He just didn't expect anything big to happen while doing it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh oh my gosh I'm so sorry I know I haven't updated this in forever plz forgive me, writer's block and lack of motivation can be a serious pain in the ass ;-;  
> I know I say this for almost every oneshot I write but I hope this one's okay! It took me wayyy longer than I thought it would to write

Dipper sat at the bar, feeling as bored as ever as he lightly tapped his fingers, taking small sips of his fruity flavored tequila- which wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be. Mabel had told him to go out and enjoy himself at least once, and take a break from working for a while- because to her, Dipper worked himself too hard to please the customers at the shack- and he seemed more than exhausted towards the end of the day.

 

Sighing, he looked around. There weren’t  _ too  _ many people out tonight, so the place seemed fairly quiet, save for the tv in the corner and the small group of people playing pool, joking around and having a good time. Dipper seemed to be the only actual person sitting  _ at  _ the bar- the only other person being the bartender, who seemed to be bored from the lack of people, but seemed friendly nonetheless.

 

He’d been there for maybe a little over an hour, and so far it isn’t as fun filled as he thought it’d be. It was pretty dull if he were to be honest- in fact, he’d much rather be distracting himself with a tour of the shack- heck, he’d even take  _ cleaning  _ over sitting here and doing absolutely nothing.

 

He was about to just get up and leave before he ran into some stranger who was slightly taller than he was. He raised an eyebrow and smirked, taking a small step toward Dipper- who in return took a step back with a nervous laugh.

 

“I-I’m sorry, I was just... heading out.” He stuttered slightly, pointing towards the exit with a small smile. The stranger just laughed in return, shaking his head a little as he tsked. 

 

“So early? It’s not even 10 yet.” He leaned in a little closer, making Dipper swallow nervously. 

 

“Yeah, um... m-my sister needs me, so I really need to get back home…” The stranger placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder, making him squeak in surprise as he tried getting away. “P-please let go of me. I-I really need to-”

 

“Oh,  _ come on _ . Stay a while longer, won’t you?” He asked, grinning wolfishly. “We could get to know each other, even.” Gathering up what little courage he had, Dipper shoved the man away, glaring slightly.

 

“I said  _ no _ .” He said in annoyance before trying to walk towards the door again. “Look, I don’t know who you are. I don’t  _ want  _ to know who you are, so just leave me alone, alright?” The man huffed before glaring slightly in return before grabbing a hold of Dipper’s arm- perhaps a little too tightly- and yanking him back. Gasping, Dipper tried yanking his arm away, but to no avail with what little strength he had.

 

“How about staying a while longer, yeah?” The man asked in a low, somewhat menacing voice as he forced a smirk. “We can make it fun.”

 

“Hey!” A new voice called out. Surprised, they both looked at who it was that was walking towards them with an angry look on his face, his arms crossed. This person seemed to have messy, light blonde hair, and looked to be a bit shorter than Dipper even. “What the hell do you think you’re doing with  _ my  _ boyfriend, buddy? Hm? Can’t you tell he wants to be left alone, or are you just too stupid to realize it?”

 

_ ‘Boyfriend?’  _ Dipper wanted to say as his brows furrowed in confusion.  _ ‘I don’t remember ever having a boyfriend…’ _ Before he even got the chance to ask, the man glared at him.

 

“ _ You’re  _ his  _ boyfriend _ ?” He asked in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

 

“‘Fraid not. Are you gonna leave us alone, or do I have to call the police for harassment?” The blonde said with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. The man huffed before storming off towards the other side of the bar. He turned to Dipper. “You can leave now if you’d like.” Dipper gave him a confused look before laughing under his breath incredulously.

 

“Thanks for that, but, uh...” Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. “Why’d you say you were my boyfriend? I’m sure he would’ve left me alone eventually.” He squinted a little as he tried to get a better look as this person. Now that he’s closer to him, he can see that his eyes were mostly blue with golden flecks. (Not that he was staring at him long enough to realize that.) “Who are you, even? Why’d you help?”

 

“It was no problem, really!” He answered, a smile on his face. “And, I saw that guy. He didn’t seem like the type to just let someone off. He was just gonna keep pestering you, trust me- maybe even worse. I said I was your boyfriend mainly because it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw you.” He then chuckled slightly as he crossed his arms again. “You...  _ really  _ don’t know who I am?” 

 

Dipper shook his head, a puzzled look still on his face as he tried to study him. “Ah... should I?” The blonde let out a laugh as he shook his head slightly, as if in disbelief before faking a sad expression.

 

“I’m hurt that you don’t remember me... because, I sure remember you _ , Pine Tree _ .” He added with a knowing grin. Dipper’s eyes widened before he glared, taking a small step back.

 

“No…” He said to himself before speaking out loudly. “ _ Bill _ ? But... I don’t... how did you- No.  _ How  _ are you here right now?”

 

“You don’t seem very excited to see me again.” Bill said teasingly.

 

“You’ve been gone for about 10 years... Just  _ how  _ are you back?” Dipper asked, sounding almost angry. “You’re supposed to be stuck in some other dimension right now aren’t you?  _ How  _ are you here right now- as a  _ human _ ?”

 

“How about I explain it on the way back to the Mystery Shack?” He asked, a smirk on his face.

 

“ _ No _ . No way you’re going near there again. You’ve tortured us enough already.” Dipper huffed as he stormed out the door of the bar towards home. He looked behind him to see that Bill was following along. Annoyed, Dipper stopped and turned around, making Bill stop completely before he ran into him. “Do  _ not  _ follow me back, or I swear I’ll-”

 

“You’ll  _ what _ ?” Bill interrupted, letting out a short laugh as he narrowed his eyes at Dipper. “You do remember what I can do, right? What, exactly, could you do to stop me from following you?” Dipper glared for a few more seconds before huffing and turning around to start the walk back home. He heard Bill chuckle before he caught up again. “What, nothing to say? I’m shocked Pine Tree.”

 

“ _ Don’t  _ talk to me.” Dipper answered through gritted teeth. “Not. A.  _ Word _ .” Bill shrugged, humming in response as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Being (surprisingly) respectful the entire walk, except for a hum here or there, Bill didn’t say anything until they at least got back. Despite himself, Dipper kept finding himself taking glances over at the demon the entire way (Not that he would admit it), with Bill noticing with a small smirk on his face but staying quiet nonetheless.

 

When they neared the back door, Dipper turned around, making Bill almost run into him with the sudden stop as he looked up slightly with a smile- raising an eyebrow as he took a couple steps back. 

 

“Okay. Tell me.” Dipper said flatly. 

 

“What, exactly?” Bill asked, amusement in his voice. “I thought you didn’t want to talk to me.” Dipper sighed, already missing the silence but questioning Bill regardless. He needed answers.

 

“That was only during the walk okay? And you know what I’m talking about.” Bill laughed under his breath, shaking his head slightly.

 

“If you say so. So- you wanna know how I’m human? I used a spell- wasn’t easy though. Took a long time actually. And before you ask, no, I’m not possessing some poor idiot. I made this body on my own,” He gestured to his entire body before speaking again. “Which is  _ why  _ it took a while.”

 

“Wait,  _ why  _ did you make your own?” Dipper asked, feeling confused. “Wouldn’t it just be easier to possess someone?” Bill shrugged as he look down at the ground for a few seconds, kicking at the ground.

 

“Dunno. Just picky I guess.” Dipper laughed a little, making Bill look back up at him in slight confusion. “What’s so funny?”  

 

“It’s just,” Dipper chuckled a little. “I don’t think I could imagine  _ you  _ of all people to be picky about  _ any _ thing. I mean, you possessed  _ me  _ didn’t you? I don’t exactly look too great.”  _ You don’t look too bad though. _

 

Realizing what he’d just thought of, Dipper’s face grew hot as he cleared his throat- hoping Bill didn’t notice. He didn’t, apparently, as he rolled his eyes before huffing a little.

 

“Anyone, including me, can be like that. And,” He walked closer to Dipper, though stopping at a respectable distance. “You look fine to me, kid. Really. I probably wouldn’t have possessed you otherwise.” 

 

Dipper rolled his eyes slightly. “Wow, thanks. Seriously. Means a lot.” 

 

“I’m being serious here, you know.”

 

“I’m sure you are.”

 

“I am-!” Bill was able to say before stopping himself at the door opened, revealing Mabel. Dipper jumped, almost tripping over himself as he turned around to face his sister, who had a puzzled expression as she looked behind him.

 

“Um, Dipper? Who’s that?” She asked slowly. Dipper rubbed the back of his neck subconsciously as he tried to think of an answer, laughing nervously.

 

“Uhh, Mabel... that’s-”

 

“Hey Shooting Star!” Bill said excitedly, waving as a grin appeared on his face. Her puzzled expression slowly turned to one of surprise when she figured it out, and she turned to her brother- putting her hands on his shoulders as she spoke in a quiet, yet slightly panicked voice.

 

“Dipper! What’s Bill doing here?” She whispered harshly as she glared. He sucked in a breath as he began his explanation, ushering her back inside- with Bill following close behind.

 

 

 

 

Bill waited in the next room as Dipper finished explaining the situation to Mabel, who still didn’t seem happy about it, but less so after learning what the demon had done for him (Whether out of kindness or just because he wanted to, he supposed he didn’t know). When they returned, Mabel narrowed her eyes slightly, keeping a safe distance.

 

Sighing tiredly, Dipper ran a hand through his hair as he spoke to Bill again. “I don’t suppose you’re staying anywhere?” Bill was quiet for a few moments before answering.

 

“Not really, no. I just kinda stayed wherever until running into you.” He smirked a little as he leaned back on the couch. “Why? Are you saying I could stay  _ here _ ?” 

 

“I didn’t say that, Bill.” Dipper argued weakly. “But you probably wouldn’t leave anyway, would you?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“ _ Dipper _ .” Mabel said, looking between the two incredulously. “You’re not seriously-”

 

“Y’know, if I wanted to do something, I would have by now?” Bill interrupted, making the twins turn their attention to him. “If I wanted to hurt you in any way, then why would I help Pine Tree here with  _ any _ thing?”

 

“You could’ve just been tricking him for all I know.” Mabel said with a glare as she crossed her arms. “Maybe you knew the person that was bugging him.”

 

“I had no idea who that guy was, alright? I swear.”

 

“Then how did you know where he was?” Also wanting to now know the answer to Mabel’s question, Dipper gave Bill a questioning look.

 

“Yeah... how  _ did  _ you know where I was anyways? It couldn’t have been just a coincidence that you walked in right when he was getting in my face.” 

 

“It was coincidental, actually.” He answered, a crooked smile on his face. “I’d never been in a place like that before so I wanted to see what it was like. Imagine my surprise when I run into Pine Tree here.”

 

“You’re not known for helping people, Bill.” Dipper stated blankly.

 

“Maybe I just felt like helping you. You  _ are  _ one of my favorites.” He said, his grin widening. Dipper let out a breath as he thought for a few moments. Eventually, he let out a defeated sigh. Mabel looked over at him before she, too, let out a sigh- one of annoyance when she realized her brother’s decision before he even said it.

 

“I’m going to bed.” She muttered before walking to her room, leaving Bill and Dipper alone. 

 

Deciding to take his chances, he walked over to the couch, leaving a good amount of space between himself and Bill as he sat down with a huff, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back. And, surprisingly, Bill stayed quiet as he switched between looking around the room and looking at Dipper, pulling his legs to his chest as he rested his chin on his knees with a soft sigh. Dipper enjoyed the silence for a little longer before he looked over at Bill, a question still on his mind from earlier.

 

“You know, Bill... you never said  _ why  _ you were human in the first place.” He said quietly, looking up at the ceiling. “You only told me how you became one.” When Bill didn’t answer right away like he thought he would, he looked back over at him to see that he was now looking straight ahead instead of directly at him. “Bill?”

 

“I had to.” Was all he said, confusing Dipper even more.

 

“You... had to? Why?” Bill glanced over at Dipper, not moving from his position as he looked straight ahead again.

 

“Yes, I had to. Something, or someone, was after me- so I had to get away before they found me.”

 

“Someone more powerful than you?” Dipper asked incredulously. Bill only hummed in response. “But...  _ nothing  _ is more powerful than you.”

 

“That  _ you  _ know of.” Bill answered.

 

“But then... how would being human help? Couldn’t you still be found?” 

 

“No.” He answered sharply before his voice grew quiet. “Not anymore.”

 

“Not anymore?” Dipper asked softly. “What do you mean?” Bill glanced at Dipper again before letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding until now.

 

“I mean,” He mumbled, his voice now having a sort of sad undertone to it as he spoke. “I’m not a demon anymore. No powers, no  _ nothing  _ anymore…” Letting out a gasp, Dipper’s eyes widened as he struggled for words for a few seconds.

 

“Y-you... really?” Bill stayed silent, prompting Dipper to speak again. “But, what about what you said earlier-”

 

“I  _ lied _ , Dipper, okay?” Bill cut him off with a scowl. “I didn’t know what else to do. Telling the truth wouldn’t have worked because you wouldn’t have believed me.”

 

Despite fighting against it, Dipper actually felt a little bad for him. He couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to just lose everything that made you who you were. Before he was able to speak up again, Bill continued.

 

“It took pretty much all I had to do that one spell.” He muttered softly. “It took everything- and now I have nothing. I don’t even have a home anymore... that’s why I was just walking around- I didn’t have anywhere to go after I’d gotten away. Then I realized I was in Gravity Falls.”

 

“Then you ran into me.” Dipper answered, frowning.

 

“Look, I know what I’ve done to you in the past, okay? I’d understand you never forgiving me for doing that to you. I wouldn’t forgive me either. There’s a lot of stuff I’m not forgiving myself for that I’ve done in the past. So if you want to just throw me out- right now- then you can. I won’t stop you. I  _ can’t  _ stop you. Honestly, I’d deserve it.”

 

Dipper was silent as he took in everything all at once. He bit his lip before sighing, his feelings of guilt overshadowing his brain. 

 

“You’d absolutely deserve it.” He finally said, making Bill look at him in surprise. “But I can’t do that to you. I don’t know, I just. Seeing you powerless like this... it would just make me feel really guilty if I threw you out when you wouldn’t have any idea as to what you’re doing.”

 

Although looking as if he were offended, he didn’t say anything- opting to just glare before his expression slipped back into what it was before as he looked away again.

 

“You... have a point there.” He muttered in slightly annoyance.

 

“So... seeing as how you can’t really do anything that would do us any harm, I... I suppose you could... stay here.” At this, Bill perked up a little, a smile making it’s way to his face as he laughed a little.

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah, seriously. But you have to prove that we can trust you again. It’ll take some time- think you could do it? It’d be like a second chance sort of thing I guess.” Nodding, Bill moved closer as he gave Dipper a quick hug. Which, in turn, made Dipper’s face grow warm again from not expecting it (Maybe he just hugged him out of happiness?).  He backed away, a crooked smile on his face as he held his hand out. Awkwardly, Dipper held his out in return, shaking the (ex) demon’s hand.

 

“Deal.”

 

After a few more moments, Dipper stood up, putting up one finger before leaving the living room and coming back in with a blanket. With a smirk, he tossed it to Bill, who looked at him in confusion.

 

“Since we don’t have any extra beds, you get to sleep on the couch for the time being.”

 

“What?” Bill whined. “Oh come  _ on _ , are you serious?” Dipper laughed a little before turning to go to his room for the night (Which used to be Grunkle Stan’s before he moved out).

 

“Goodnight, Bill!” He called out, completely ignoring the rest of Bill’s whining as the rest of the lights were turned out.


	30. Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All hail the fluff and the cheesy moments

For the past few weeks, Dipper had kept himself constantly busy doing things around the shack and running small errands here and there, and no matter how many times he was told by his sister, or even Bill, to actually stop and relax at least for a little while- it didn’t seem to slow him down. His excuse was all the new customers coming in constantly and needing to be quick getting through them, so  _ no _ , he couldn’t just ‘ _ take a break _ ’, even if one of the other two volunteered to take over for a bit. There were other things that needed to be done that they could take care of.

 

Although they were both annoyed, it seemed like Bill was even more so- due to the fact that he couldn’t even have Dipper to himself even for a few minutes. One of the few times they actually got to be near one another was when they were sleeping.

 

_ “We’re  _ together _ aren’t we? Aren’t we supposed to spend time together like regular people do?” _ He’d ask, which would just be waved off or ignored for the time being as Dipper tended to customers. 

 

And finally, though it didn’t seem like much, Bill came up with an idea. With no one looking around to buy anything or wanting a tour, he grinned to himself as he walked up to Dipper, who was counting the money in the register. The latter glanced up for a second before returning to his task. Walking around the counter and behind him, Bill managed to wrap his arms around Dipper’s neck as he rested his chin on his shoulder, standing on his toes ever so slightly due to the minor height difference.

 

Sighing, but not stopping what he was doing, Dipper spoke.

 

“I’m busy, Bill. Did you need something?” 

 

“You need to spend more time with me. I  _ miss _ you.” He added with a little whine. 

 

“You get to see me every day, you don’t have to miss me.” Pretty much expecting that kind of answer, Bill rolled his eyes before scoffing a little.

 

“Seeing you around the shack isn’t exactly the same thing as spending time with you, Dipper.” 

 

“Says you.” 

 

“That’s your answer? Really?” Bill asked, laughing under his breath. Tilting his head slightly, he pressed a feather-light kiss to Dipper’s neck, and waited for his reaction. He smirked when Dipper’s breath hitched, and he stiffened. “Come on, kid... just relax for a while, hm?” He then murmured in response.

 

“Bill, seriously,” Dipper warned, sounding somewhat strained. “I’m not done counting the money yet.”

 

“ _ Please?~”  _ Bill dragged out sweetly. Dragging his lips against Dipper’s skin, he stopped just behind his ear, placing another light kiss and making him shiver slightly. “I could help you unwind if you’d like…” Dipper let out a shaky breath, tensing at the suggestion.

 

“I-I’m good.” He forced out, although it didn’t sound very convincing. “Really.”

 

“You sure?” Bill breathed, smirk not leaving his face as he took the chance to kiss the corner of Dipper’s mouth as his head turned slightly. Not getting an answer this time, he decided to turn him around a bit so his nose brushed Dipper’s. When Dipper closed his eyes, Bill discreetly reached a hand up- and yanked his hat off in the process. Letting out a laugh, he backed away when Dipper’s eyes shot open in surprise before turning his attention to Bill with a glare. When he reached for it, Bill held it further out of his reach as continued to back away.

 

“ _ Bill!  _ Give it back!” He yelled in frustration as he reached for it again. 

 

“You’ll have to catch me first!” Bill answered with with a cackle as he ran to the front door, peeking over his shoulder for a second to see that Dipper was, in fact, chasing after him with not-so-happy expression. Running straight ahead, they both ended up running into the forest.

 

Laughing to himself, Bill continued to run for a few more minutes until his body let him know he was out of breath- making him slow down as he caught his breath at the top of a small hill. He turned when he heard Dipper right behind him, and before he could say anything or let out a warning, he yelped when he felt Dipper’s arms wrap around him after tripping over a branch, making both of them tumble over each other until they landed in a clearing with an  _ ‘oof _ ’.

 

Bill waited for the dizzy feeling to go away before opening his eyes, blinking a few times to clear his vision. Still panting lightly from running previous, he let out an exhilarated laugh as he saw Dipper lying beside him. Hearing him, Dipper sat up slowly as he also caught his breath before moving to straddle Bill, who (surprisingly) still held the hat tightly in his hand- holding both of his arms down as a small smile made it’s way to his face. 

 

“Let’s do that again!” Bill said excitedly, a lopsided grin on his face. Shaking his head, Dipper chuckled a little before sighing- his face not only flushed from the chase- but also from just how Bill managed to look as adorable as he did at the moment.

 

“Let’s  _ not _ do that again, okay?”

 

“Well  _ you’re  _ no fun.” Bill muttered.

 

“Pfft, what? I’m totally fun to be with.” Dipper argued.

 

“Says you.” Bill mocked from earlier, snickering lightly at the playful glare Dipper gave him.

 

“How about you don’t mock me?”

 

“How about you make me, Pine Tree?” Bill retorted in a teasing tone, a smug grin now on his face. 

 

“Fine.” He answered, rolling his eyes at Bill’s expression before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his lips, making him hum in pleasure in return. 

 

“I knew I could get you to stop working,” Bill murmured into the kiss, laughing under his breath. “For a little while at least.” 

 

“You’re lucky I care about you enough that I didn’t do more than just chase after you.” Although he didn’t exactly say it, Bill understood that Dipper’s words meant more than that- the thought made him blush slightly as he smirked in return.

 

“Well, you kissed me if that counts.”

 

“You know you’re ridiculous right?”

 

“I’ve always known that, kid.” He said with a laugh. “So... you gonna let me up yet? Unless you’d prefer to stay here for the night.” Shaking his head, Dipper sat up, releasing his grip on Bill’s arms as he stood up, pulling Bill up with him as his eyes glanced down at the hat still in his hand.

 

“I have  _ no  _ idea how you managed to hold on to that without dropping it.” He said as he crossed his arms, amusement in his tone.

 

“Maybe it was magic.” Dipper rolled his eyes before laughing a little.

 

“Or maybe it was just luck.” He said before reaching out and quickly snatching it out of Bill’s hand, making him whine in response before that quickly turned to surprise when it was placed on his head. “Why don’t you hold onto it for me ‘til we get back?” He suggested before turning to make the trip back up the hill with a grin on his face. “Your hair’s a mess anyways.”

 

Though he didn’t see it, Bill grinned in response as he huffed lightly before catching up.


	31. Pizza Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel decides they should order some pizza for a party at the Mystery Shack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not having written anything in a while guys! Just been super busy and my insomnia/depression/anxiety's being a bitch ugh
> 
> This one might be a bit on the short side and the ending might not be as good as I wanted it to be but I hope it's okay anyway lmao

“What kind of food do you want for the party?” Dipper asked his sister, Mabel, who was just finishing putting up decorations all throughout the shack. Finishing with the last decoration, she glanced over at her brother with a smile before climbing down from the stepping stool.

 

“Well pizza, obviously.” She answered, walking over to sneak a peek at the list Dipper had in his hands. “You can’t have a party without pizza!” Rolling his eyes slightly, he smiled as he scribbled something onto the list before saying he’ll get his laptop.

 

Plopping onto the couch, Dipper plugged in his laptop before opening it and turning it on, entering his password and chuckling under his breath at his background of him, his sister, and his grunkle making faces at the camera before opening a new tab. Once at the website, he decided he’d just order a large pepperoni pizza. Just before pressing the button to order, his sister came bouncing in, stopping a few feet in front of him.

 

“You didn’t order yet did you?”

 

“No... why?” He asked slowly, watching as her grin widened. 

 

“For the special instructions box you should write for them to send the cutest delivery person!” Dipper scoffed, leaning back a little as he crossed his arms.

 

“What for exactly? You’re already dating…” He trailed off as he thought about it more, Mabel’s grin growing impossibly wider as he figured it out. “You’re trying to set me up with someone aren’t you.” He stated in a monotone voice, an unamused look appearing on his face. “Mabel, I’m completely fine on my-”

 

“Don’t you finish that sentence.” She warned, waving her finger at him with a stern look. “You can’t stay single  _ forever _ , Dipper! You gotta get out there and meet someone. Maybe the pizza place will send a cute boy!”

 

Dipper’s face grew warm at the statement. “I  _ am  _ fine on my own.” He muttered, embarrassed. He heard his sister sigh before speaking again.

 

“ _ Pleaseee  _ bro-bro? For me?” She pleaded, clasping her hands together as she put on the most convincing of puppy dog faces. Finally, after a few more moments, he let out a stubborn sigh of defeat.

 

“Okay, okay, fine. For you.” He answered, his face growing warmer as he put in the request before sending the order- adding at the end for the delivery person to go around back. He flinched as Mabel let out a squee of delight as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands together excitedly.

 

“Yay, thank you so much Dip-Dop! You won’t regret it.” He exited out of the sight as he sighed again.

 

“Sure hope I don’t.” He mumbled under his breath, low enough for his sister not to hear it as she bounded out of the room, humming quietly to herself.

  
  
  
  
  


Around a half hour later, there was a knock at the back door. Pausing what he was doing, Dipper turned his head toward the direction before letting out a breath and closing his laptop before placing it carefully on the couch. Turning around, he sucked in a breath before heading towards the door. As soon as he opened the door, he froze- his mouth dropping slightly. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, most likely looking like a complete idiot, before a hand waved in front of his face. Snapping out of whatever daze he was in, he blushed furiously as he met the delivery guy’s gaze- who in return laughed nervously.

 

“Are... are you alright, sir?” Rubbing the back of his neck, Dipper also let out a nervous laugh as he answered the blond. 

 

“Y-yes. Sorry about that. I, um…”

 

“Dipper! What’s taking so…” He heard his sister call out before she trailed off as she noticed what was happening at the door. Grinning and squealing slightly, she placed a hand on Dipper’s shoulder as she looked at the delivery guy.

 

“Oh hi! I’m Mabel.” She greeted enthusiastically, waving. Raising an eyebrow, the delivery guy chuckled a little.

 

“Um. Hey. I’m... I’m Bill.” He turned towards Dipper. “Dipper, was it?”

 

“Uh... y-yeah.” He stammered slightly, his blush staying right where it was. “My real name though is Mason.” Bill smirked a little, his amber eyes seemingly golden in the light of the Mystery Shack.

 

“Well Mason, I just need you to sign this receipt here and I’ll be on my merry way.” He snuck a glance behind Dipper. “Don’t wanna disrupt the party or anything.”

 

“Oh, it’s fine! We don’t mind.” Mabel interrupted before Dipper could speak up. She moved closer to her brother as she whispered non too quietly. “Go for it, bro-bro!” Turning to leave to let some guests in, she waved as she left. “It was nice meeting you Bill! Hope to see you again sometime!” 

 

“It was nice meeting you too!” He called out before turning his attention back to Dipper. “So... Receipt?” He asked, seemingly holding back a laugh- almost as if he’d heard what Mabel had told her brother…

 

Snapping back into focus once again, Dipper nodded slightly as he took the pen that Bill offered to him. After the pen was returned and he was given a tip, Bill grinned as he took a step back.

 

“Have a good night, sir!” He said to Dipper as he started to leave. And... was that a wink? Was Dipper seeing things?

 

“Yeah... you too…” He said, feeling confused as to what he thought he just saw. When he looked down at the box of pizza, he noticed another slip of paper on top of it. How had he missed this?

 

Carrying the box into the kitchen and reading the (albeit sloppily written) note on the way there, he blushed once again when he realized that there was a phone number at the bottom. Smiling, he safely stashed it in his pocket, reminding himself to get ahold of him later.

 

“ _ Cutest delivery person hm? You’re not so bad yourself ~ ❤️ _

_ P.S. If I were you I would take your sister’s advice” _

  
  


_ xxx-xxxx _

  
  
Maybe having a boyfriend  _ would  _ be better than being alone forever.


End file.
